Simple games that contain meaning well beyond what you would think.

[Midnight Crossroads]

World at War, Black Ops, and the Modern Warfare series actually provided some nice insight into the nature of war if you pay attention. Too bad nobody pays attention. No one ever notices the irony behind the name Modern Warfare, the ending scene of Black Ops, or the entire Russian campaign in World at War. Especially Black Ops. You would think the giant American flag on the bow of the ship with the jet fly by and high fives would give people a hint. It didn't. Satire is dead.

 

[Innegativeion]

Well there's Journey. In which the cutscenes in between levels showcase the rise and fall of a great civilization. Thanks to the over-industrialization of the land, they fought over what little resources they had left and eventually split into factions and destroyed each other.

This game uses symbolism excellently.

For example, the only thing your really have to be 'afraid' of for most of the game, IE the only thing that can harm you are the

Spoiler

GIANT FRIKKEN WAR SERPENT ROBOTS

,

which when first you meet them, serenely take a gander at you before dashing like all hell, launching you 30 something feet in the air. It's absolutely jarring. Obviously, these constructs are remnants of the war. They can only be found

Spoiler

deep underground, in the sunken city

.

The remnants of hatred spilled over from our history can be hidden well, but strike fast and fatally

Spoiler

like a GIANT FRIKKEN SNAKE

 

[RedDeadFred]

the flash game the company of myself
http://www.kongregate.com/games/2DArray/the-company-of-myself

if you haven't played it make some time but be warned it has been know to make ppl cry

Wow.... That was beautiful but also very depressing. I did tear up a bit at the end.

OT: The flash game lechat linked for sure but also Bastion. A lot of people I know who played through it didn't really pay a lot of attention to the story. I don't mean just the story of the Kid but everything that happens in his world. If you actually fully listen to everything Rucks says, you'll see that the story is about far more than just a Kid trying to restore the world. It's about genocide, racism, love and loyalty.

 

[Racecarlock]

One Chance. End of the world in 6 days. Every day you must choose stay with family or go to work. A simple choice the way I put it but fuck me it has an impact.

 

[default]

This little gem, Where We Remain.

[link]http://armorgames.com/play/5307/where-we-remain[/link]

Very interesting little game with a lot of hidden secrets, a strange story and some very interesting mechanics. Give it a look.

There's also Looming.

[link]http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/541333[/link]

Quite a beautiful, poetic and atmospheric little game with many endings and many secrets.

 

[Starik20X6]

Shadow of the Colossus. It seems like a pretty standard game story: kill these giant monsters and it will save the girl. But it's incredibly subversive, and messes with your expectations, your presumptions and takes place in a sea of grey morality.

 

[Pink Gregory]

I'unno, I reckon the games I'm seeing suggested in this thread, good games as they are, are sort of made with the express intention of delivering a deeper meaning; while that's admirable, setting out to do so hardly comes as a surprise, so the meaning beyond surface values is, well, not beyond what one thinks, depending on how yer going into it.

...on reflection, that post makes little sense, I'ma go cram my fist into my mouth now bwargh.

 

[Ashhearth]

I'unno, I reckon the games I'm seeing suggested in this thread, good games as they are, are sort of made with the express intention of delivering a deeper meaning; while that's admirable, setting out to do so hardly comes as a surprise, so the meaning beyond surface values is, well, not beyond what one thinks, depending on how yer going into it.

...on reflection, that post makes little sense, I'ma go cram my fist into my mouth now bwargh.

Heh really I created this thread just for people to be able to share idea's on games with in depth structure and whatever. Binding of Isaac got mentioned earlier which made me happy because that game has eaten so much of my time. The mechanics are incredibly simple heck the first room tells you just about everything you need to know to win. But even with that actually beating the game takes knowing those mechanics perfectly to maybe just maybe beat the final boss. I think I've died over 120 times with only 13 or 14 mom kills.

Also thank you to everyone that has posted so far I will at some point check out all of these games

 

[TheSteeleStrap]

Super Meat Boy is a mario-style love story on the surface, but Meat Boy literally can't live without Bandage Girl.

 

[SajuukKhar]

The Elder Scrolls series has an entire deep-as-fuck rabbit hole of lore that eventually reaches the point where you find out that reaching god-hood is realizing that your in a video game.