A new genre of games has emerged in the past few years – especially in the indie scene. Games are slowly moving towards stronger, more personal stories and narrative expressions. They usually involve very little in the way of traditional gameplay mechanics – focusing on keeping the players focused on the story by removing any distractions and complex or convoluted mechanics.
This genre, now affectionately referred to as the “walking simulator” genre – has grown massively, in both user base and the complexity and variety they portray. Dear Esther was one of the first, higher profile games in the genre to try something a little bit different. It’s the metaphorical story about a family torn apart by an accident, and set on a remote Scottish island. The game presents some unusual themes and handles them in very mature ways. The game is visually stunning and emotionally thought provoking, and well worth picking up today.
