Saturday Side Quest - Life Changing Video Games

Where has faith and fandom intersected this week?

Sometimes I feel like an outlier in my own community. I’m a seeker of niche within the niche. When my gaming peers are seeking out the blockbusters, I’m the hipster with a curly mustache and scarf seeking out obscure art.

Cringe, I know.

But the truth is—it’s my favorite thing in the whole world. Not the cringy hipster part… I am an absolute enthusiast for digging until I find a truly compelling and unique story. Or method of storytelling. I’m all for Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, but it’s so fun to find something that pushes the boundaries a bit. Something that might bore someone looking for the usual experience. Something that might even bore them. Or put them out of their comfort zone.

This week, I’ve been fortunate enough to get to experience that feeling in spades as I’ve played through an indie underground title from this year called Until Then. It has been evocative in all of my favorite ways. It’s exactly what I am looking for and scratches every itch.

I long for that feeling. It’s what draws me to the indie gaming community.

I have to admit, that’s a part of my disappointment at the Balatro sweep at The Game Awards. While I appreciate the ludological and mechanical feat that it is, I wasn’t compelled at all by the narrative it wove. Appropriately enough… it didn’t really need one.

But for this bonus blog, I thought I’d share a few that I do enjoy. These are five games that have changed my life—and I’m not being dramatic.

This is not at all an exhaustive list. Consider that this is my favorite genre of gaming and realize I have way more than five.