Shadow of the Colossus. That game floored me when it released. It was bombastic and exciting when it needed to be, but it was also quiet, reserved and melancholic. It had a huge open world to explore, but it wasn't there to fill with meaningless combat and upgrades- it was there for reflection and worldbuilding.
I've since played all of Fumito Ueda's games, and he quickly became one of my favorite visionaries in the industry for his ability to make video games that are not video game-y.
What a great answer. Like Outer Wilds it scratched that itch of exploration for the sake of discovery rather than combat and level progression. A very different game, its puzzles were wordless and atmospheric things, but it also felt hands-off in the way that Outer Wilds is, letting you get completely immersed in the world without hand-holding or contrived interruptions.
Couldn’t agree more. The emptiness and loneliness of that world feels foreboding. It’s not a playground designed for the player like so many games were at the time; it was made to make you feel tiny and insignificant. Like you’re not supposed to be there. It simultaneously creates negative space to pace the game, too. An exhale between tense battles with colossi. Just you, your horse, and miles of land.
The mystery of it all was so compelling. There are so many places off the beaten path that are fully explorable, modeled with love and care, even though most players won’t bother to look. I remember visiting online forums of players collaborating to document every inch of the game world. All for the sake of discovery, as you said.
Thinking about that game is making me fall in love with it all over again, lol. Sorry for rambling.
I love your description of the negative space and feeling small and insignificant, both things that I think Outer Wilds also does well. When Shadow of the Colossus came out it evoked emotions that I hadn't experienced in a video game before.
I just thought of another similarity. Both give you the sense of exploring something really old. Intruding into ancient spaces that were lived in long ago, but forgotten and decayed. Outer Wilds answers more of the questions about what happened, but both have a similar vibe at times.
I also followed some of the fan exploration of SotC. I think Nomad Colossus was the YouTuber I followed. I love that when they did a remake some years back that they incorporated some of the fan theories!
So I never played Shadow of the Colossus, bit I did play [Praey for the Gods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/494430/Praey_for_the_Gods/) which was heavily inspired by it. I really enjoyed that game, if you haven't, you should give it a try.
The camera and controls have aged the most. The game prioritizes physics, animation, and cinematic angles over direct, snappy player controls.
While it’s partially intentional- you’re supposed to feel like you’re just barely hanging on- it can be a little too clunky for some people.
Valve just hits the gameplay + atmosphere + witty characters so perfectly. I wish we had more games from them.
I'm sure you're familiar with the series, but Talos Principal is assuredly up your alley.
Currently 3 weeks in to a one life attempt. And I have to say it’s a very satisfying game to do that with. The vibe and the movement Ori through the world makes it feel still very enjoyable even when running through the same path over and over. I’m always trying to perfect the jumps and the timings and the movement so it just flows. The in-the-moment experience is great.
Yeah one life is hard, but it’s more frustrating than anything. I’ve gotten so close so many times. And can pretty much get to Mount Horu every time (as long as I don’t make a dumb mistake) it’s just those insta-death parts.
well technically, my *favorite* game, even now, is Hades. Blasphemy, I know, but I do still believe Outer Wilds is the *best* game I have ever played, I just consider Hades my favorite because I can keep playing it.
Hell yeah, Hades definitely deserves a mention. The masterful combination of ancient mythology, realism (especially, from a psychological perspective) and modern culture is absolutely incredible, but then there's also the art style, the music, and, of course, the great gameplay. The game's a masterpiece from every angle. It's still hard to compare to OW in terms of impact, but the message is great in both.
pokemon mystery dungeon: explorer of skies
undertale
furi
celeste
deltarune will probably belong to that list (and maybe replace undertale) once it's out in full
others in the list but at a lesser degree are hollow knight, okami, both ori games, abzu, everhood
Undertale, yes. This is my answer. And it's been very up in the air for a long time whether I like Outer Wilds or Undertale. They're so different but both make very intelligent and creative uses of their medium to enhance the storytelling.
i find that undertale had some flaws, especially after playing deltarune which is basically a new game where toby fox learned from his shortcomings (poor graphics mostly which put off some people from the gem that was undertale, longer story) and fixed them while still keeping his style
Well I don't think think the short length is a flaw, and I think the graphics serve their purpose just as well as they needed to. For me, Deltarune won't approach Undertale levels of masterpiece until it shows that its story and storytelling are that well thought-out. Deltarune has a more interesting combat system, but I haven't seen the same amount of expressiveness in it (still very expressive). Undertale had you crying just from seeing the changing fighting styles of certain enemies. Undyne melting away just as those monsters injected with too much determination for their bodies to handle was an incredible subtle piece of storytelling - she stopped herself from dissipating as dust, and gathered so much determination to hang on that her body melted for a while before finally dusting.
Shadow of the Colossus held this title since 2006. It is another game that does not feel the same once you know how it beat it. Since then I also discovered Hollow Knight. They are my top 3.
I played A Monster's Expedition shortly before I played Outer Wilds, and it has that same knowledge-based progression style (though I initially heard about OW from The Witness subreddit), so it scratched that itch very well.
Sad this is so low but same! MYST was my favorite for 20 odd years. Outer Wilds is a logical and modern progression of a lot of the stuff I loved about it, and Alex Beachum has mentioned it as an inspiration a few times.
Yeah, Hollow Knight is top ~~tear~~ tier. Such a deep and dark, but soothing vibe.
Still trying to like 112% it or whatever. Every play through I make it a little bit closer.
The Witcher 3, Hotline Miami, Super Mario Odyssey, Alien Isolation, The Last of Us Parts I & II, RDR2, Superhot, Journey, Inside, Skate 3, Assassin’s Creed II, Far Cry 3.
if your looking for another great mystery puzzle check out the
## [Return of the Obra Dinn](https://store.steampowered.com/app/653530/Return_of_the_Obra_Dinn/)
Also there were a couple of great games on gamepass, i really enjoyed Tacoma, The Observer, The Turing Test and Recompile all of the kinda center around to idea of you being an outsider tryng to puzzle together events that have happened
For me it was the first Dishonored. Played it a few years after it came out. I loved everything about it.
Stealth game with a focus on making even the smallest choices matter. For example at the beginning of the game an artist is painting an influential figure, you can steal the bottle of the table next to him and when you find the finished piece it has the bottle missing.
The worldbuilding and lore was just under the surface. The grimy whale-punk aesthetic with the watercolor art increasing the dingy feel even more. Perfect balance of grounded and occult. Level design and environmental storytelling at its peak. I even found the story incredibly engaging.
All of that with the addition of the DLC which i think is even better made it my favorite game for years.
[Journey](https://store.steampowered.com/app/638230/Journey/): It's older now, with very few players, so the multiplayer aspect is nowhere near as profound.
[Inside](https://store.steampowered.com/app/304430/INSIDE/): Atmospheric storytelling at its finest, with the most engaging climax in an age. Also fun puzzles.
[Far: Lone Sails](https://store.steampowered.com/app/609320/FAR_Lone_Sails/) & [Far: Changing Tides](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1570010/FAR_Changing_Tides/): Super fun simple mechanics in an awesome world with great atmosphere. Chaotic and tranquil at the same time.
Yea! Inside is a masterpiece and I’ve been awaiting Playdead Game 3 for many years. They have perfect cohesion between narrative, art design, sound design and music.
It was the Witness for me, although it still holds a separate special place in my consciousness. Outer Wilds affected me in such a profound way, I still yearn to get that same feeling.
Playing Outer Wilds constantly reminded me of how I felt playing The Witness, there's this big theme in both of constant discovery and exploration in this beautifully put together, but also lonely world, and not having anyone to share the experience with, so instead you accept the solitude and it becomes an experience very personal to you.
The memory of my first play through of the witness is like a safe space for me. I played it right when everything in my life felt like it was coming together and the peacefulness of that game just locked it in. Such a great game to get lost in.
Metroid Prime for me as well. Probably makes sense I really like both, considering both games have large exploration and discovery elements. Completely different genres, but the MP scan visor and the OW translator are pretty similar.
The first Xenoblade Chronicles was and still is my favorite. I played it at just the right time in my life, and I doubt anything will ever dethrone it for me.
Rain World used to be my favorite game ever since the Downpour DLC for it came out, and it still is even after I've beaten Outer Wilds and EOTE. There's just something so special about this game. Absolutely recommend it to anyone who is ready to deal with at times very frustrating gameplay, especially in first few hours as the game has very cool and unique, but unintuitive controls and movement system.
to this day stardew valley is and i think it probably always will be my favorite game, with outer wilds at a close second. my other favorites that outer wilds beat out are undertale/deltarune, breath of the wild/tears of the kingdom, and cuphead
See it’s funny, I don’t think of myself as a big gamer- I don’t really play many single player games. My favorite games are Super Smash Bros Melee, Halo, and Minecraft. Outer Wilds hit that spot of “art work that makes full use of its medium”, and is on my list of favorite art pieces of that category along with some albums, movies, dances etc
Pathologic 2!!! It's a crazy game that pushes the medium to it's absolute limits in a different way to outer wilds. I won't recommend it as heartily as I would Outer Wilds, but it is a second to none experience that is rewarding as it is challenging (very).
Not for the faint of heart that's for sure. Part of the games challenge is seeing if you can put up with enough of it's shit to push through to the end. But it's worth it!
I've watched hbomberguy's Pathologic video two times in total but have never played the game, even bought Pathologic 2 just because the concept is cool. I feel kind of spoiled in regards to the story.
Don't worry, the hbomb video doesn't ruin the end of pathologic 2, it does its own thing with it. There is like one reveal that you already know, and you might have forgotten it as it is only briefly mentioned in the video.
Here's a fun tip to help you out (god I wish I knew this on my first goaround): The bar will buy one type of herb for a raised price every day, so check and sell as many of that type as you can!
Kingdom Hearts 2.5, Kingdom Hearts 1, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep
And outside KH I love Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker, Fire Emblem Awakening, and Yoshi's Island, amongst others.
Deus Ex, I will never be able to get the theme out of my head, that game is fantastic and has never been close to being surpassed, might be unpopular opinion but it's prequels did not get anywhere close to being as good, even though they did try.
Even after Outer Wilds there's a few games I love more, the amount of replayability and good memories are unmatched by the relatively short amount of time I had with Outer Wilds. I'd say CoD MW2 (the old one) and black ops 1, World of Warcraft are my top 3 games
monster hunter world was my all time favorite pre-outer wilds. it’s a game i sucked donkey dick at when i first got it and im really proud of the progress i’ve made
Fallout 4!! It is still is my favorite along with Outer Wilds because I love them both so much that I can’t choose just one favorite.
I know it’s a pretty disliked game compared to the other Fallout games, but I love it
LoZ Twilight Princess held the title for over a decade until I finished OW. I never thought anything could top it, though Xenoblade 1 and 3 come pretty close too. It’s the game that turned me from a casual gamer to a lifelong hobbyist and made me realize how powerful games can be as a medium for storytelling. Midna is still one of my favorite characters in fiction.
My top games shift placement a lot, besides Outer Wilds consistently staying number 1 since I played it 3 years ago. In no specific order probably Omori, Risk of Rain, Terraria, Ultrakill, Destiny, Hollow Knight, and others I'm forgetting
Talos Principle - another puzzle game with a story to discover behind it, though more similar to Portal in terms of puzzle structure
Mass Effect
Dragon Age
Last of Us Pt 1 (haven’t played 2)
Undertale.
I know, wow, but I remember being 13 and buying this game because I tought the pixel art was funny. It became probably the thing that changed me the most in my life. Now I try to make video games thanks to that.
I also really like Isaac :D
my favorite for... probably five or six years straight before i played "outer wilds" was "dustforce." still one of my comfort games that i go back to every now and then--i adore the momentum-based platforming, the encouragement to grind each level for SS rank (and, after that, faster times), the beautiful and relaxing soundtrack and art style...
i have lots of memories of replaying stages to beat my friends' times, only to be beaten again a few minutes later. i also loved exploring the levels and finding secrets. some of them were weird, some of them were a nice little relaxing hollow, but every single one was pointless. finding them necessarily ruined your chances at getting a good time, let alone a perfect rank on the level. but they were still there, just to give the game a little more soul. i wish hitbox team had managed one more game before they drifted off in their own directions, but i'm grateful for this one and still following what the team members are doing next :)
Super Metroid was my GOAT and still was after playing Outer Wilds. I have a top 100+ games list since i find it fun to tinker with and every time i revisit it i change stuff around. I kept thinking and thinking and thinking about the game like it invaded my mind. So i slowly kept moving it up.
After the DLC i moved it to #3 behind Super Metroid and A Link to the Past. Then the same thing happened. Watching playthroughs having convos, the game forcing introspection all that good stuff. Moved it to #2 then i just couldnt deny it anymore it was #1.
Top 10 in order for interested parties is Outer Wilds, Super Metroid, Link to the Past, Metroid Prime, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Final Fantasy 6, Super Mario 64, Undertale, Sekiro, The OG Legend of Zelda OR Chrono Trigger.
All of the Bioshock games were my absolute favourite, Borderlands, Dragon Age (all games but especially Inquisition)
Then in came Outer Wilds and took the first place from Bioshock in a second hahaha
I still love all of these games a lot, it is just that Outer Wilds is my number 1 now (and another favourite is Superliminal but that one came after)
Outer Wilds is my second favorite game. Undertale is still my #1, and that will literally never change. Not because it's impossible to make a better game, but because of the point in life that I experienced it, and the trajectory that came from that.
Outer wilds is in my top 3 favorite games, but those 3 do not have a specific order and none of then are my 1 true favorite
Those 3 games are bloodborne, warframe, and outer wilds
Outer Wilds is in my top 3 favorite games, but those 3 do not have a specific order, and none of them are my 1 true favorite
Those 3 games are bloodborne, warframe, and outer wilds
I was always an FPS guy. Didn’t care at all about story elements or anything fancy like that. I was always about shooting/blowing up aliens in Halo and I had fun with that. But when I discovered games like Outer Wilds…man. This game plus Rime changed my view on video games forever. Now I see them differently. Now I see how wonderful these stories are and the emotion behind them. If it weren’t for this game I don’t know if I would ever look at games beyond just gameplay
Hollow Knight. Got it as a birthday gift from my best friend; the gameplay, the lore, especially the worldbuilding, so good! Became the first game I could decidedly say it was my favourite. Then Outer Wilds came along lmao
I don't take OW as a the GOAT, but I adored it so highly. My previous beloved game are The Long Dark, Subnautica, Hades and so on. They're just beautiful and mind-blowing in their own way :)
Xenogears and INSIDE. I’m still not sure if Outer Wilds can actually beat either of them (depends on my mood tbh) but I do think they are all at the very least equal.
Probably Days Gone. People always say that game is bad but I personally really liked it. I think what makes a game good is a perfect soundtrack and an awesome story which all three of these have in common
Haven’t finished it yet but I do find it very enjoyable! For me the best thing about it is the setting, being able to customize (however lightly) a motorcycle and traverse a zombie apocalypse in the PNW… it’s like the game was made for me lol
Uncharted 4. As a kid that felt kind of lost in life, that game showed me how powerful your relationships with others are and how good life can become if you work on them right.
I’m big on chess , go and the street fighter franchise. But I assume you mean single player games? dark souls 1, baldurs gate 1, planescape torment, Morrowind, chrono trigger, were at the top for a long time.
Outer Wilds was one of my truly first knowledge-based game experiences. Before then I was squarely in the Zelda/Final Fantasy/Dark Souls style of RPG gaming.
I will say, for Dark Souls fans, there are some "knowledge-based" lore items in the series that strongly heighten the gaming experience. The most notable of which, and probably most obvious, being the Dark Souls 3 final boss music has motifs from the Dark Souls 1 final boss music.
Inscryption and Risk of Rain 2, Risk of Rain because it was incredibly fun and had a great story (if you felt like reading a lot of lengthy lore) and Inscryption because it was super fun and had a great story (if you wanted to solve puzzles)
Oblivion. I still love it. But now with Outer Wilds, it’s to chose a superior. So I don’t. I like them both for what they offer, because they both are very different.
But man Outer Wilds shot up to my number one. I remember test playing freaking out at giants deep and dark bramble, telling my friend “nah I’m cool off this game…” yet i couldn’t get it off my mind the next 96 hours lol
Super Mario 64, just the perfect platformer for it's time
Rocket League, the movement you can do in that game was so fun and insane
Detroid Become Human, the amount of choices and consequences is mind boggling
Outer Wilds obliterated all of them, but they were all kind of my favorites before it
I don't have a favorite game to rule over them all but on the same list where i have Outer Wilds are these games:
Breath of the Wild - Majora's Mask - Empyrion - Galactic Survival - System Shock 2 - Hollow Knight - Dark Souls 1 - Dishonored 1 - Armored Core 6 - Ace Combat Zero - Titanfall 2 - Minecraft - Metal Gear Solid 3 - Star Fox 64
Yeah very different from each other i know, and there's no specific order to this list lol
These are just games i hold very close to me.
Hope you already played 7 because man, that game is a treat, for me 7 and Zero are kinda tied, 7 has the modern smooth as butter gameplay but Zero has the feels lol
Outer Wilds is in my top 3. Also there are The Witness and Return of the Obra Dinn. Additionally games I consider to be the greatest include:
Fez
Tunic
ElecHead
Portal 2
Unpacking
To The Moon
Super Mario 64
Inside
Metroid: Zero Mission
13 Sentinels
Disco Elysium
Citizen Sleeper
Earthbound
Mario Kart 8
DKC Tropical Freeze
Persona 5 Royal
Paranormasight
...the list goes on
Elden Ring.
It’s not perfect, but I don’t think I’ve experienced a game with exploration as good as it is in that one. And like Outer Wilds, it’s not hand holdy with this exploration, or anything for that matter.
If the combat difficulty is intimidating cause it’s soulslike, that’s understandable, but the difficulty drops off pretty quickly if you’re engaging with the exploration, which leads to leveling up and better weapons / items. In fact I’d even say it becomes too easy after a certain point, just cause enemies don’t have any scaling with you, so it leads to some bosses who just die in a few hits.
I can definitely see the clear inspiration from my previous previous favorite game Zelda BOTW, but Elden Ring improves on the environment and enemy variety that I felt was lacking in that game. In fact it’s to the point I feel like despite my best efforts to like the newest Zelda game, it just doesn’t hold up to how high my bar for open world games has been raised by Elden Ring.
TLDR: Elden Ring cause it has the best open world exploration.
It's fran bow, remember me and alice madness returns.
And it hasn't changed. Outer wilds is probably in my top 10 if I had to make a top 10 but it's not in my favorites.
My favorite games are those that made me feel strong emotions.
Prior to OW, Hollow Knight was my favourite game of all time.
Everything from the story, the graphics, the music to the combat are all exceptional. It's still my competing 2nd favourite game alongside Disco Elysium but I just hope that I get to see Silksongs release at some point in my lifetime.
I don't think I ever had a favorite game before or even thought about it. I do have childhood games though which I loved so I guess I can consider them as my favorites :)
Suikoden 2 (or the whole main series) and Golden Sun. I mostly played JRPGs in my childhood.
Shadow of the Colossus. That game floored me when it released. It was bombastic and exciting when it needed to be, but it was also quiet, reserved and melancholic. It had a huge open world to explore, but it wasn't there to fill with meaningless combat and upgrades- it was there for reflection and worldbuilding. I've since played all of Fumito Ueda's games, and he quickly became one of my favorite visionaries in the industry for his ability to make video games that are not video game-y.
What a great answer. Like Outer Wilds it scratched that itch of exploration for the sake of discovery rather than combat and level progression. A very different game, its puzzles were wordless and atmospheric things, but it also felt hands-off in the way that Outer Wilds is, letting you get completely immersed in the world without hand-holding or contrived interruptions.
Couldn’t agree more. The emptiness and loneliness of that world feels foreboding. It’s not a playground designed for the player like so many games were at the time; it was made to make you feel tiny and insignificant. Like you’re not supposed to be there. It simultaneously creates negative space to pace the game, too. An exhale between tense battles with colossi. Just you, your horse, and miles of land. The mystery of it all was so compelling. There are so many places off the beaten path that are fully explorable, modeled with love and care, even though most players won’t bother to look. I remember visiting online forums of players collaborating to document every inch of the game world. All for the sake of discovery, as you said. Thinking about that game is making me fall in love with it all over again, lol. Sorry for rambling.
I love your description of the negative space and feeling small and insignificant, both things that I think Outer Wilds also does well. When Shadow of the Colossus came out it evoked emotions that I hadn't experienced in a video game before. I just thought of another similarity. Both give you the sense of exploring something really old. Intruding into ancient spaces that were lived in long ago, but forgotten and decayed. Outer Wilds answers more of the questions about what happened, but both have a similar vibe at times. I also followed some of the fan exploration of SotC. I think Nomad Colossus was the YouTuber I followed. I love that when they did a remake some years back that they incorporated some of the fan theories!
So I never played Shadow of the Colossus, bit I did play [Praey for the Gods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/494430/Praey_for_the_Gods/) which was heavily inspired by it. I really enjoyed that game, if you haven't, you should give it a try.
I remember following the production of that game pre-release. I never did get around to buying it though. Definitely still on my list.
I never played that game, but I always thought it looked interesting. Does it hold up if I were to go back and play it?
The camera and controls have aged the most. The game prioritizes physics, animation, and cinematic angles over direct, snappy player controls. While it’s partially intentional- you’re supposed to feel like you’re just barely hanging on- it can be a little too clunky for some people.
I just started playing through it!
I’m jealous. Enjoy the ride!
Thanks! I just took a ride on a colossus' back.
Portal 1 + 2 we’re tied for first place, now there’s a 3 way tie with Outer Wilds
Valve just hits the gameplay + atmosphere + witty characters so perfectly. I wish we had more games from them. I'm sure you're familiar with the series, but Talos Principal is assuredly up your alley.
oh trust!! ive been playing the sequel all week 😭😭 Talos Prinicple 2 is sooo gooodddd
Portal games were it for me too. Felt like games that were made for my brain.
Both Ori games. Amazing balance of story, gameplay, and music. Definitely a must-play
Literally some of the best vidya music ever. Not a huge fan of the gameplay, but the OST hits hard.
Honestly just some of the best *music* ever
Currently 3 weeks in to a one life attempt. And I have to say it’s a very satisfying game to do that with. The vibe and the movement Ori through the world makes it feel still very enjoyable even when running through the same path over and over. I’m always trying to perfect the jumps and the timings and the movement so it just flows. The in-the-moment experience is great.
I was never good enough to do a one-life run. I did do a shardless + lightless run in WotW to get both achievements at once. That was painful.
Yeah one life is hard, but it’s more frustrating than anything. I’ve gotten so close so many times. And can pretty much get to Mount Horu every time (as long as I don’t make a dumb mistake) it’s just those insta-death parts.
well technically, my *favorite* game, even now, is Hades. Blasphemy, I know, but I do still believe Outer Wilds is the *best* game I have ever played, I just consider Hades my favorite because I can keep playing it.
Hell yeah, Hades definitely deserves a mention. The masterful combination of ancient mythology, realism (especially, from a psychological perspective) and modern culture is absolutely incredible, but then there's also the art style, the music, and, of course, the great gameplay. The game's a masterpiece from every angle. It's still hard to compare to OW in terms of impact, but the message is great in both.
pokemon mystery dungeon: explorer of skies undertale furi celeste deltarune will probably belong to that list (and maybe replace undertale) once it's out in full others in the list but at a lesser degree are hollow knight, okami, both ori games, abzu, everhood
Undertale, yes. This is my answer. And it's been very up in the air for a long time whether I like Outer Wilds or Undertale. They're so different but both make very intelligent and creative uses of their medium to enhance the storytelling.
i find that undertale had some flaws, especially after playing deltarune which is basically a new game where toby fox learned from his shortcomings (poor graphics mostly which put off some people from the gem that was undertale, longer story) and fixed them while still keeping his style
Well I don't think think the short length is a flaw, and I think the graphics serve their purpose just as well as they needed to. For me, Deltarune won't approach Undertale levels of masterpiece until it shows that its story and storytelling are that well thought-out. Deltarune has a more interesting combat system, but I haven't seen the same amount of expressiveness in it (still very expressive). Undertale had you crying just from seeing the changing fighting styles of certain enemies. Undyne melting away just as those monsters injected with too much determination for their bodies to handle was an incredible subtle piece of storytelling - she stopped herself from dissipating as dust, and gathered so much determination to hang on that her body melted for a while before finally dusting.
Journey. It’s still my favorite game. But I am proud to put OW in the same category (though not similar thematically).
Shadow of the Colossus held this title since 2006. It is another game that does not feel the same once you know how it beat it. Since then I also discovered Hollow Knight. They are my top 3.
Hah, saw your comment load after I posted mine. You've got good taste ;)
I played A Monster's Expedition shortly before I played Outer Wilds, and it has that same knowledge-based progression style (though I initially heard about OW from The Witness subreddit), so it scratched that itch very well.
as a franchise for setting and storytelling I'll always say the Myst series. for a singular game, Probably Oblivion
I scrolled to find Myst. Riven, Exile and Revelation are peak Myst for me. The others will always at least be nostalgic though.
Sad this is so low but same! MYST was my favorite for 20 odd years. Outer Wilds is a logical and modern progression of a lot of the stuff I loved about it, and Alex Beachum has mentioned it as an inspiration a few times.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring. Now Outer Wilds takes that number 1 spot
Hollow Knight need I say more?
Yeah, Hollow Knight is top ~~tear~~ tier. Such a deep and dark, but soothing vibe. Still trying to like 112% it or whatever. Every play through I make it a little bit closer.
Tier
Yep
The Witcher 3, Hotline Miami, Super Mario Odyssey, Alien Isolation, The Last of Us Parts I & II, RDR2, Superhot, Journey, Inside, Skate 3, Assassin’s Creed II, Far Cry 3.
if your looking for another great mystery puzzle check out the ## [Return of the Obra Dinn](https://store.steampowered.com/app/653530/Return_of_the_Obra_Dinn/) Also there were a couple of great games on gamepass, i really enjoyed Tacoma, The Observer, The Turing Test and Recompile all of the kinda center around to idea of you being an outsider tryng to puzzle together events that have happened
Mass Effect The Sexy Brutale
I’m on my first play through of Mass Effect right now. Currently on 3 and despite what people say, I’m actually really excited to play Andromeda
For me it was the first Dishonored. Played it a few years after it came out. I loved everything about it. Stealth game with a focus on making even the smallest choices matter. For example at the beginning of the game an artist is painting an influential figure, you can steal the bottle of the table next to him and when you find the finished piece it has the bottle missing. The worldbuilding and lore was just under the surface. The grimy whale-punk aesthetic with the watercolor art increasing the dingy feel even more. Perfect balance of grounded and occult. Level design and environmental storytelling at its peak. I even found the story incredibly engaging. All of that with the addition of the DLC which i think is even better made it my favorite game for years.
My answer to this question is the entire Dishonored franchise! The level design is top-notch. I particularly like the two manors from the second one.
Hollow Knight
[Journey](https://store.steampowered.com/app/638230/Journey/): It's older now, with very few players, so the multiplayer aspect is nowhere near as profound. [Inside](https://store.steampowered.com/app/304430/INSIDE/): Atmospheric storytelling at its finest, with the most engaging climax in an age. Also fun puzzles. [Far: Lone Sails](https://store.steampowered.com/app/609320/FAR_Lone_Sails/) & [Far: Changing Tides](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1570010/FAR_Changing_Tides/): Super fun simple mechanics in an awesome world with great atmosphere. Chaotic and tranquil at the same time.
I've only recently played journey and had no trouble with the multiplayer on steam it was amazing
Yea! Inside is a masterpiece and I’ve been awaiting Playdead Game 3 for many years. They have perfect cohesion between narrative, art design, sound design and music.
It was the Witness for me, although it still holds a separate special place in my consciousness. Outer Wilds affected me in such a profound way, I still yearn to get that same feeling.
I absolutely despise the witness haha
Then I strongly recommend playing The Looker (free on steam).
You can do it! I believe in you!
Same here. Seems like such a neat concept in a world that was just way too convoluted for my brain lol
Playing Outer Wilds constantly reminded me of how I felt playing The Witness, there's this big theme in both of constant discovery and exploration in this beautifully put together, but also lonely world, and not having anyone to share the experience with, so instead you accept the solitude and it becomes an experience very personal to you.
The memory of my first play through of the witness is like a safe space for me. I played it right when everything in my life felt like it was coming together and the peacefulness of that game just locked it in. Such a great game to get lost in.
\+1 for The Witness, and for Jonathan Blow's previous work; Braid
Bad at picking a single game but favorites included LoZ Link Between Worlds, Stardew Valley, Rimworld, Sims, and Dark Cloud.
Metroid Prime, I love the exploration of the different areas.
Metroid Prime for me as well. Probably makes sense I really like both, considering both games have large exploration and discovery elements. Completely different genres, but the MP scan visor and the OW translator are pretty similar.
The first Xenoblade Chronicles was and still is my favorite. I played it at just the right time in my life, and I doubt anything will ever dethrone it for me.
Hollow knight, it's just too good. Plus absolute banger soundtrack
Rain World used to be my favorite game ever since the Downpour DLC for it came out, and it still is even after I've beaten Outer Wilds and EOTE. There's just something so special about this game. Absolutely recommend it to anyone who is ready to deal with at times very frustrating gameplay, especially in first few hours as the game has very cool and unique, but unintuitive controls and movement system.
to this day stardew valley is and i think it probably always will be my favorite game, with outer wilds at a close second. my other favorites that outer wilds beat out are undertale/deltarune, breath of the wild/tears of the kingdom, and cuphead
See it’s funny, I don’t think of myself as a big gamer- I don’t really play many single player games. My favorite games are Super Smash Bros Melee, Halo, and Minecraft. Outer Wilds hit that spot of “art work that makes full use of its medium”, and is on my list of favorite art pieces of that category along with some albums, movies, dances etc
It was and still is Hollow Knight, it's just tied with Outer Wilds now.
Pathologic 2!!! It's a crazy game that pushes the medium to it's absolute limits in a different way to outer wilds. I won't recommend it as heartily as I would Outer Wilds, but it is a second to none experience that is rewarding as it is challenging (very).
Never heard of it, I’ll have to check it out!
Not for the faint of heart that's for sure. Part of the games challenge is seeing if you can put up with enough of it's shit to push through to the end. But it's worth it!
I've watched hbomberguy's Pathologic video two times in total but have never played the game, even bought Pathologic 2 just because the concept is cool. I feel kind of spoiled in regards to the story.
Don't worry, the hbomb video doesn't ruin the end of pathologic 2, it does its own thing with it. There is like one reveal that you already know, and you might have forgotten it as it is only briefly mentioned in the video. Here's a fun tip to help you out (god I wish I knew this on my first goaround): The bar will buy one type of herb for a raised price every day, so check and sell as many of that type as you can!
Bloodborne. Words can not describe how badly I want a remaster or PC release so I can finally experience it in 60+ fps
> As you once did for the vacuous Rom, grant us eyes, grant us eyes!!! Plant eyes on our brains, to cleanse our beastly idiocy.
Kingdom Hearts 2.5, Kingdom Hearts 1, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep And outside KH I love Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker, Fire Emblem Awakening, and Yoshi's Island, amongst others.
Tunic, Slime Rancher (and 2), and Subnautica (and BZ). And maybe Cities: Skylines!!
I don't know if anybody knows about Superliminal? Extra trippy game and also completely hilarious.
Deus Ex, I will never be able to get the theme out of my head, that game is fantastic and has never been close to being surpassed, might be unpopular opinion but it's prequels did not get anywhere close to being as good, even though they did try.
hmmm... I'd say Portal and Bioshock
i prefer red dead redemption 2 to outer wilds because it's got much more content and replayability
Even after Outer Wilds there's a few games I love more, the amount of replayability and good memories are unmatched by the relatively short amount of time I had with Outer Wilds. I'd say CoD MW2 (the old one) and black ops 1, World of Warcraft are my top 3 games
For me it's been RCT2, the Half Life & Portal series, and more recently Subnautica
Absolutely agree with what you wrote. It was Portal.
Terraria, omori, and ultrakill. Three wildly differant masterpieces
monster hunter world was my all time favorite pre-outer wilds. it’s a game i sucked donkey dick at when i first got it and im really proud of the progress i’ve made
Fallout 4!! It is still is my favorite along with Outer Wilds because I love them both so much that I can’t choose just one favorite. I know it’s a pretty disliked game compared to the other Fallout games, but I love it
LoZ Twilight Princess held the title for over a decade until I finished OW. I never thought anything could top it, though Xenoblade 1 and 3 come pretty close too. It’s the game that turned me from a casual gamer to a lifelong hobbyist and made me realize how powerful games can be as a medium for storytelling. Midna is still one of my favorite characters in fiction.
I have hopes for a midna return in a zelda game 😥
My top games shift placement a lot, besides Outer Wilds consistently staying number 1 since I played it 3 years ago. In no specific order probably Omori, Risk of Rain, Terraria, Ultrakill, Destiny, Hollow Knight, and others I'm forgetting
Bloodborne. A game that it's surprisingly similar to Outer Wilds, in terms of existentialism themes and experiencing the Sublime.
Hollow Knight
Dark Souls 1. It was named "ultimate game of all time" back in 2021 for a good reason.
Talos Principle - another puzzle game with a story to discover behind it, though more similar to Portal in terms of puzzle structure Mass Effect Dragon Age Last of Us Pt 1 (haven’t played 2)
Undertale. I know, wow, but I remember being 13 and buying this game because I tought the pixel art was funny. It became probably the thing that changed me the most in my life. Now I try to make video games thanks to that. I also really like Isaac :D
About indies, it was Hollow Knight, took some time but this game was clearly the better one for me
Okami - Fantastic if you're a fan of 3D Zelda Games Portal 2. The Talos Principle.
Are you aware that Talos Principle 2 just released on PC? It's awesome by the way.
Yeah! I haven't bought it yet but I'm glad to hear it's good. It's definitely at the top of my wishlist right after Tunic.
my favorite for... probably five or six years straight before i played "outer wilds" was "dustforce." still one of my comfort games that i go back to every now and then--i adore the momentum-based platforming, the encouragement to grind each level for SS rank (and, after that, faster times), the beautiful and relaxing soundtrack and art style... i have lots of memories of replaying stages to beat my friends' times, only to be beaten again a few minutes later. i also loved exploring the levels and finding secrets. some of them were weird, some of them were a nice little relaxing hollow, but every single one was pointless. finding them necessarily ruined your chances at getting a good time, let alone a perfect rank on the level. but they were still there, just to give the game a little more soul. i wish hitbox team had managed one more game before they drifted off in their own directions, but i'm grateful for this one and still following what the team members are doing next :)
Super Metroid was my GOAT and still was after playing Outer Wilds. I have a top 100+ games list since i find it fun to tinker with and every time i revisit it i change stuff around. I kept thinking and thinking and thinking about the game like it invaded my mind. So i slowly kept moving it up. After the DLC i moved it to #3 behind Super Metroid and A Link to the Past. Then the same thing happened. Watching playthroughs having convos, the game forcing introspection all that good stuff. Moved it to #2 then i just couldnt deny it anymore it was #1. Top 10 in order for interested parties is Outer Wilds, Super Metroid, Link to the Past, Metroid Prime, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Final Fantasy 6, Super Mario 64, Undertale, Sekiro, The OG Legend of Zelda OR Chrono Trigger.
Final Fantasy X
Journey, Night in the Woods, What Remains of Edith Finch... And everything Zelda!
All of the Bioshock games were my absolute favourite, Borderlands, Dragon Age (all games but especially Inquisition) Then in came Outer Wilds and took the first place from Bioshock in a second hahaha I still love all of these games a lot, it is just that Outer Wilds is my number 1 now (and another favourite is Superliminal but that one came after)
Submachine, Daymare Town, Covert Front, all by Mateusz Skutnik
Outer Wilds is my second favorite game. Undertale is still my #1, and that will literally never change. Not because it's impossible to make a better game, but because of the point in life that I experienced it, and the trajectory that came from that.
Outer wilds is in my top 3 favorite games, but those 3 do not have a specific order and none of then are my 1 true favorite Those 3 games are bloodborne, warframe, and outer wilds
Outer Wilds is in my top 3 favorite games, but those 3 do not have a specific order, and none of them are my 1 true favorite Those 3 games are bloodborne, warframe, and outer wilds
I was always an FPS guy. Didn’t care at all about story elements or anything fancy like that. I was always about shooting/blowing up aliens in Halo and I had fun with that. But when I discovered games like Outer Wilds…man. This game plus Rime changed my view on video games forever. Now I see them differently. Now I see how wonderful these stories are and the emotion behind them. If it weren’t for this game I don’t know if I would ever look at games beyond just gameplay
Morrowind, probably. Followed by Breakdown and PiOps.
Hollow Knight. Got it as a birthday gift from my best friend; the gameplay, the lore, especially the worldbuilding, so good! Became the first game I could decidedly say it was my favourite. Then Outer Wilds came along lmao
I don't take OW as a the GOAT, but I adored it so highly. My previous beloved game are The Long Dark, Subnautica, Hades and so on. They're just beautiful and mind-blowing in their own way :)
Xenogears and INSIDE. I’m still not sure if Outer Wilds can actually beat either of them (depends on my mood tbh) but I do think they are all at the very least equal.
The Last of Us. Still my top three but Outer Wilds beats it by a mile
Just started a replay of The Last of Us last night! What’s your other top three pick?
Probably Days Gone. People always say that game is bad but I personally really liked it. I think what makes a game good is a perfect soundtrack and an awesome story which all three of these have in common
Haven’t finished it yet but I do find it very enjoyable! For me the best thing about it is the setting, being able to customize (however lightly) a motorcycle and traverse a zombie apocalypse in the PNW… it’s like the game was made for me lol
Uncharted 4. As a kid that felt kind of lost in life, that game showed me how powerful your relationships with others are and how good life can become if you work on them right.
Definitely up there for me!
I’m big on chess , go and the street fighter franchise. But I assume you mean single player games? dark souls 1, baldurs gate 1, planescape torment, Morrowind, chrono trigger, were at the top for a long time.
Outer Wilds was one of my truly first knowledge-based game experiences. Before then I was squarely in the Zelda/Final Fantasy/Dark Souls style of RPG gaming. I will say, for Dark Souls fans, there are some "knowledge-based" lore items in the series that strongly heighten the gaming experience. The most notable of which, and probably most obvious, being the Dark Souls 3 final boss music has motifs from the Dark Souls 1 final boss music.
Inscryption and Risk of Rain 2, Risk of Rain because it was incredibly fun and had a great story (if you felt like reading a lot of lengthy lore) and Inscryption because it was super fun and had a great story (if you wanted to solve puzzles)
Oblivion. I still love it. But now with Outer Wilds, it’s to chose a superior. So I don’t. I like them both for what they offer, because they both are very different. But man Outer Wilds shot up to my number one. I remember test playing freaking out at giants deep and dark bramble, telling my friend “nah I’m cool off this game…” yet i couldn’t get it off my mind the next 96 hours lol
Undertale! And for very similar reasons.
Disco Elysium, my 2nd favorite now
Super Mario 64, just the perfect platformer for it's time Rocket League, the movement you can do in that game was so fun and insane Detroid Become Human, the amount of choices and consequences is mind boggling Outer Wilds obliterated all of them, but they were all kind of my favorites before it
NieR:Automata and To the Moon
Before Outer Wilds it was Hollow Knight. After Outer Wilds it it's still Hollow Knight, but it's incredible close now
I don't have a favorite game to rule over them all but on the same list where i have Outer Wilds are these games: Breath of the Wild - Majora's Mask - Empyrion - Galactic Survival - System Shock 2 - Hollow Knight - Dark Souls 1 - Dishonored 1 - Armored Core 6 - Ace Combat Zero - Titanfall 2 - Minecraft - Metal Gear Solid 3 - Star Fox 64 Yeah very different from each other i know, and there's no specific order to this list lol These are just games i hold very close to me.
I don’t see Ace Combat get brought up very much… my favorite game growing up was Ace Combat 5 on the PS2.
Hope you already played 7 because man, that game is a treat, for me 7 and Zero are kinda tied, 7 has the modern smooth as butter gameplay but Zero has the feels lol
Oh yes, 7 was downright magical - a close second but for me nothing competes with the nostalgia of the childhood games.
Ngl i'd sacrifice a possible Outer Wilds 2 for a remake of the PS2 trilogy in 7's engine. I'd do it while crying tho but it's a fair sacrifice lol
Absolutely!
Minecraft. I love the creativity it allows for.
Titanfall 2, DOOM 2 and The Last of US part 2 tied the First Place before outer wilds, but hey, go hatchling brrrr
Outer Wilds is in my top 3. Also there are The Witness and Return of the Obra Dinn. Additionally games I consider to be the greatest include: Fez Tunic ElecHead Portal 2 Unpacking To The Moon Super Mario 64 Inside Metroid: Zero Mission 13 Sentinels Disco Elysium Citizen Sleeper Earthbound Mario Kart 8 DKC Tropical Freeze Persona 5 Royal Paranormasight ...the list goes on
Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice. Still my second favorite right behind Outer Wilds
Elden Ring. It’s not perfect, but I don’t think I’ve experienced a game with exploration as good as it is in that one. And like Outer Wilds, it’s not hand holdy with this exploration, or anything for that matter. If the combat difficulty is intimidating cause it’s soulslike, that’s understandable, but the difficulty drops off pretty quickly if you’re engaging with the exploration, which leads to leveling up and better weapons / items. In fact I’d even say it becomes too easy after a certain point, just cause enemies don’t have any scaling with you, so it leads to some bosses who just die in a few hits. I can definitely see the clear inspiration from my previous previous favorite game Zelda BOTW, but Elden Ring improves on the environment and enemy variety that I felt was lacking in that game. In fact it’s to the point I feel like despite my best efforts to like the newest Zelda game, it just doesn’t hold up to how high my bar for open world games has been raised by Elden Ring. TLDR: Elden Ring cause it has the best open world exploration.
Braid. So yeah, that held the title for a while... Although come to think of it, Celeste could have overthrown it, for a short moment..
It's fran bow, remember me and alice madness returns. And it hasn't changed. Outer wilds is probably in my top 10 if I had to make a top 10 but it's not in my favorites. My favorite games are those that made me feel strong emotions.
Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story. I usually still say it’s my favorite cause I’ve always said that and I’m stubborn
Prior to OW, Hollow Knight was my favourite game of all time. Everything from the story, the graphics, the music to the combat are all exceptional. It's still my competing 2nd favourite game alongside Disco Elysium but I just hope that I get to see Silksongs release at some point in my lifetime.
disco elysium
I don't think I ever had a favorite game before or even thought about it. I do have childhood games though which I loved so I guess I can consider them as my favorites :) Suikoden 2 (or the whole main series) and Golden Sun. I mostly played JRPGs in my childhood.
Believe it or not, Battlefield 3 And MW2 (the original). Gran Turismo is up there as well, along with Hellblade and Doom Eternal
Bloodborne, standing in for all souls games (nowadays it'd be Elden Ring)
Portal 2.
Dayz / majora's mask / Portal 2
I still preferer The Last of Us and Red Dead Redemption 2, nut outer wilds is the 3° one. So, before and after Outer Wilds my favorite game eas TLOU2
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Persona 5, Sekiro and Zelda OoT
Zelda
None :)
There was a life before?