The Best Games That Are Hard To Explain

Summary

Games like Baba Is You challenge players to rewrite reality through clever word puzzles & creative thinking.
Return of the Obra Dinn offers a unique detective experience using frozen moments & deductive reasoning.
Undertale’s deep storytelling mechanics teach empathy through player choices that impact the game world.

Certain games can be hard to explain succinctly or understand immediately, as they appear strange on written descriptions, confusing in discussions, and may seem unappealing based on a snapshot alone. However, once someone starts playing them, the concepts become clearer, or at least intriguing enough that the initial confusion becomes irrelevant.

These are the type of games that players complete, ponder for weeks, and then enthusiastically suggest to everyone they know with nothing more than a passionate “take my word for it.” They elude genre classifications, confound assumptions, and distort gameplay dynamics into forms so unusually enjoyable, they defy conventional descriptions. Remarkably, they’re also among the most cherished gaming encounters out there.

8. Baba Is You

“Is” Can Be A Verb, A Wall, And A Win Condition

At first glance, Baba Is You might appear to be a Sokoban puzzle reminiscent of a kindergarten lesson, but it subtly transforms into one of the most challenging logic experiments ever contained within a grid. Initially, it seems straightforward: move the little sheep-like character towards the flag. However, as the words start shifting positions, “Wall Is Stop” could suddenly become “Wall Is You,” making players control every wall on the map simultaneously. It’s less about solving puzzles and more about manipulating reality using only sentence fragments and tenacious creativity.

The genius of Baba Is You lies in its unwavering adherence to its own rules, challenging players to fundamentally rethink their strategies. Unlike traditional games with stories or escalating battles, this game offers intricate puzzles based on wordplay that a linguistics professor might find profoundly moving. Describing it to someone unfamiliar is like attempting to explain quantum physics using magnetic toys. However, for those who appreciate the satisfaction of being thoroughly baffled in a positive sense, it makes an excellent recommendation.

7. Return Of The Obra Dinn

A Detective Game Where Everyone Is Dead And Time Is Your Sketchpad

In most detective games, you navigate through conversation sequences and highlighted hints. However, in the game Return of the Obra Dinn, they ditch that formula and give players a monochrome insurance ledger instead. This game is set on an abandoned 19th-century merchant ship, where your task is to uncover what happened to the 60 souls who perished there. The unique aspect? You can leap into moments frozen in time of each person’s death using a magical pocketwatch, and solve their fate by piecing together fragments of dialogue, background noises, and environmental cues.

In every instance, the solutions are manually derived, without any hints or automated assistance. The game features a monochrome 1-bit art style that conceals more than it reveals, necessitating players to scrutinize details like tattoos, accents, and shadows’ positions, in order to decipher names. Making the argument that this puzzle of deaths transforms into one of the most fulfilling whodunits in gaming might seem implausible. Nevertheless, for those who appreciate meticulous, methodical problem-solving at a slow pace, it’s an immediate must-play.

6. Undertale

A Game That Teaches Empathy Using Bullets, Jokes, And A Flower

Undertale showcases its quirkiness boldly, allowing players to engage romantically with skeletons, grant mercy to enemies during combat, or face harsh punishment from a flower craving power. However, the game’s humor masks a deeper system that explores moral complexities, a daring endeavor for most role-playing games, hidden beneath its catchy MIDI melodies and internet culture references.

As a devoted fan, I’d put it this way: Every choice counts significantly. Adversaries recall their encounters based on treatment. Game saves might deceive you, but killing something doesn’t intensify the game—it adds a melancholic tone. The mechanics are straightforward yet the narrative is profoundly layered with commentary that brushes against philosophy. It’s simple to say that Undertale is excellent, but it’s challenging to convey how this game subtly alters your perception of responsibility, and how each experience varies, especially when you attempt a Genocide run and grasp the real meaning of ‘no mercy’.

5. The Stanley Parable

The Game That Explains Itself, Mocks You For It, And Then Changes The Ending

In simpler and more conversational terms:

The Stanley Parable isn’t so much a game as it is a deep philosophical debate hidden within the setting of an office simulation. The narrative kicks off when Stanley finds out that all his coworkers are absent. Whether you choose to follow instructions or act rebelliously, your choices will significantly shape the story’s outcome. If you opt to follow the narrator’s guidance, the plot takes one direction. However, if you decide to defy him, he may express frustration, bewilderment, or even existential distress.

In simpler terms, “The Stanley Parable” blends humor, criticism, and an exploration of video game mechanics. It’s not hard to call it a masterpiece, but describing how choosing the wrong door can upset the narrator for an entire week is quite challenging.

4. Everything

Play As Everything. Literally

In this game, there isn’t a main character, set levels, or conventional victory requirements. Instead, everything within it serves as a disguised philosophy lesson in a fantastical sandbox environment. Players can manipulate anything from a common pinecone to the vastness of a galaxy. One instant, they might be a bear drifting through a forest; the next, they could be a subatomic quark or an abstract idea. At first glance, it appears nonsensical. Yet, in its absurdity lies a deep sense of profundity.

This narrative, entirely delivered by philosopher Alan Watts, fosters a sense of cosmic interconnectedness by subtly prompting players to ponder scale, self, and existence. There’s a button to move objects, but everything just tumbles clumsily. Nothing about the game Everything adheres to traditional game design principles, yet it leaves an indelible impression on people. Suggesting it feels like a challenge, but for those who dare to play it, it frequently becomes one of those unique experiences that alters one’s perspective, even if they can’t quite articulate why.

3. Death Stranding

A Cargo Delivery Simulator That’s Somehow About Love, Loss, And Terrain Grades

When Hideo Kojima introduced Death Stranding as an adventure game focused on traversing post-apocalyptic America by delivering packages, some questioned if it was performance art or a joke. However, it turned out to be neither – it was something unusual. While players primarily spend their time carrying packages through landscapes filled with mountains and rivers, keeping track of stamina and ensuring a balanced load like a precarious Jenga tower, this isn’t the essence of the game. The core of Death Stranding is about forging connections.

Each unattended ladder, every constructed bridge by diverse players, weaves an unspoken, intangible network among countless individuals collaborating without personal encounters. The persistent journey, stumbling mishaps, Norman Reedus’ grunts as he tumbles – all contribute to a profound feeling of gradual achievement and emotional attachment. On paper, it might seem incongruous. Yet, it functions. Explaining its charm without sounding like a devoted follower of Kojima is a daunting challenge. However, suggesting it? That’s straightforward – merely inform them that it’s the most exceptional game about trekking with anxiety and spirits ever crafted.

2. Katamari Damacy Reroll

When Rolling Up The World Just Feels Right

In a game that’s as quirky as they come, Katamari Damacy Reroll, you play as a tiny space prince who gathers objects, ranging from cows and continents to entire countries, rolling them into a ball to restore the stars. With its eccentric music and vibrant, chaotic visuals, this game might seem strange, but it’s surprisingly soothing. The basic concept is straightforward: roll your sticky ball over objects to make it grow larger. However, the continuous growth in scale, from tiny items to towering skyscrapers, remains consistently entertaining.

It seems odd to discuss the deep emotions evoked by something so absurdly childish, yet beneath its madness lies a surprising tenderness. The King of All Cosmos often speaks down to the player with his slow, royal tone. The game manages to comment on consumerism, size, and negligent parenting without directly saying it, making it all the more intriguing. Sharing my enthusiasm for it is simple, but explaining why is only a little less challenging than describing how a duck, a bus, and Mount Fuji wound up inside a space capsule!

1. Outer Wilds

A Time Loop Where Curiosity Is Both The Puzzle And The Answer

In the game Outer Wilds, players embark on a tranquil space exploration journey that eventually leads to profound philosophical insights so thought-provoking they might leave you scratching your head in wonder. This game features a custom-made solar system where time is stuck in a 22-minute loop, and each cycle culminates in a supernova explosion. However, the unique aspect of this game lies not in upgrades or gear, but in the knowledge that players accumulate. Each loop provides new information, making it challenging to classify or fully comprehend.

In the game named Outer Wilds, every celestial body harbors its secret, each hint points towards an unfolding story, and often, the solutions merely spark more intrigue. The players are not lauded for their skillful maneuvers but their thoughtful contemplation. There’s no guidance, no waypoints; just a spaceship, a space suit, and a vast star system filled with enigmas waiting to be unraveled. Summarizing Outer Wilds can sometimes feel like jumbled phrases: “To understand why the sun station failed to ignite a black hole before the anglerfish awaken, you must choose to die intentionally.” However, those who embark on this journey usually emerge transformed, and their gaze often sparkles with the allure of the cosmos.

2025-07-22 07:05