7 Best Introspective Story Games

Key Takeaways

• Firewatch’s engaging mystery is set in solitude with introspective gameplay & emotional connections.
• Waking features surreal combat intertwined with therapy & meditation, featuring beloved assists.
• A Short Hike’s peaceful open world offers room for introspection with activities & no conflict.

The landscape of massive games, with huge set pieces and exciting action, can be overwhelming for any player looking for a more serene and thoughtful experience. Thankfully, there are plenty of introspective and emotional games out there to please fans of any genre. Many games leave the player in isolated circumstances or slowly discovering narratives that are emotional and hidden.

Others emphasize choice and player agency itself, or the cozy and light nature of gaming as a medium. These introspective titles are often calm and take their time but can also be some of the strongest experiences in modern gaming. These are some of the best introspective titles for fans of slow-paced, thoughtful gaming.

1 Firewatch

A Lonely Mystery In The Wilderness

Plunging into the forests of Wyoming, Firewatch sees players taking on the role of a man who has fled from his previous life to become a lonely watchman. Sitting in complete isolation and watching over the vast expanse of nature, his only contact with the outside world comes in the form of radio conversations with his boss, Delilah.

These moments of connection will become focal points for the player, with the silent exploration in between giving fans time to think about where they have come from and the nature of their own relationships. With a strange mystery to uncover, and gameplay that focuses inward as well as on the exploration of the somber landscapes, any fans of slower games will adore Firewatch.

2 Waking

An Exploration Into The Mind

• Released: June 18, 2020
• Platforms: PC, Xbox One
• Developer: Jason Oda

One of the strangest premises for a video game, Waking sees players using their feelings and thoughts as weapons. Players are invited to treat the whole game as something between a therapy session and a meditation as they fight against their negative self-perception and use weapons named after the traits they see as most positive in themselves.

While the combat is exciting and tense, the dreamworld that must be traversed in between each encounter uses surrealism to provide a weird and wonderful exploration experience. With the emotional aspect of summoning loved ones and beloved animals to assist players, it is easy to see why this thoughtful game has proven so popular.

3 What Remains Of Edith Finch

Uncovering Tragic Family Secrets

Exploring a huge manor while she attempts to piece together the disparate threads of her family history, players of What Remains of Edith Finchwill reveal more and more of what became of the Finch family through the eyes of Edith herself.

The game is separated into the stories of different family members, each of which takes on a different style but comes to a similar tragic end. Every story will come together to form a portrait of a family that struggles to free itself from the shadow of mortality in a game that asks players to truly think about the story that they experience.

4 Gone Home

Exploring Your Family Home On A Stormy Night

Similarly to What Remains Of Edith Finch, Gone Home lets players into an abandoned home, initially appearing to be quite a spooky setting. On a stormy night, the player returns home only to find the house empty. Fans must find a way to let themselves in, where they will find scattered clues about what has been going on with their family.

At first, these binned letters and notes squirreled away in cupboards will paint a fractured picture of what happened in the home, but as players continue through simple puzzles and get to know the familiar halls the story that will come into focus is a romance. The coming-of-age love story is an excellent treat for those players who can trust the slower pace and the more ambient storytelling.

5 Before Your Eyes

Emotional Skim Through A Whole Life Story

Using a strange storytelling device through progressing the narrative every time the player blinks, Before Your Eyes sees the player heading into the afterlife and telling the story of a life to the ferryman who will help the protagonist pass on. The key moments of the character’s life will be shown and will pass by faster with every blink.

The story is beautifully voice-acted and makes its point clear early on, doubling down on an emotional tale about how quickly time passes and how valuable life is. Before Your Eyes has a simple gameplay trick that goes a long way in making this a thoughtful experience that forces fans to look inward.

6 Night In The Woods

Humble Homecoming For A Young Cat

Somewhere between an episode of Goosebumps and the melancholy mood of Life Is Strange, Night In The Woods sees the cat protagonist Mae Borowski return to her hometown after dropping out of college. Coming home is quite gloomy, with her friends all grown up and everything changed from when Mae was a child.

But the game manages to strike a perfect balance between humor and heartbreak while still allowing room for something eerie going on in the forest. The core gameplay is made up of exploration, chatting with loveable characters, and finding Mae’s place in a town that has moved on without her.

7 A Short Hike

Climb A Mountain, If You Like

Perhaps the game that offers the most room for introspection, A Short Hike lets players do as they wish in a small open world that is free of any major conflict and offers a host of different activities for fans to indulge in. Helping to solve the problems of the other inhabitants of the island, the animal protagonist Claire will water plants, race her friends, ride on vehicles on the water, play volleyball, and collect feathers.

Her mission overall is to climb to the top of the mountain only for the sense of accomplishment. Her journey doesn’t really matter; the player makes what they want of the game and it is entirely in the hands of the one playing A Short Hike to decide what it is.