The video game industry has its roots in filmmaking. As a result, video games often use very similar techniques to films when trying to articulate their stories and themes. The Show Don't Tell technique dates all the way back to Alfred Hitchcock and remains the backbone for visual storytelling to this day.
Game designers love to tell stories, but they have to compete with time constraints for cutscenes, limited voice actors for dialogue, or the ever-shortening attention span of player bases. With all of these limitations, some studios decide to let the story be told by the overworld, and the ambiance of the actions the player takes. These games often have very powerful stories, because you are required to become invested enough in the game so that you explore every nook and cranny of the world to divulge new secrets.
10 Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons
This first entry on our list actually had a filmmaker at the head of its development: Josef Fares. Fares devised a simple plot for Brothers. Two brothers must set out on a journey to find medicine for their sick father. Simplicity is key when developing games like this, as players have to unravel the story piece by piece and guess at the important themes of the work.
Of course, there would be no game if the objective was as simple as running out to the local drug store and picking up a prescription. Instead, this tale unfolds through a mystical world of Swedish mythology and folklore. The two brothers must face off against fantastical beasts, and solve puzzles that require the cooperation of both. The theme is one of familial love, and how the bond of brothers is stronger than all else.
9 Moncage
Moncage is a delightful puzzle game that takes inspiration from other puzzle titles like The Room. The whole game takes place within the faces of a box. You are tasked with rotating the box and trying to get pieces from different faces of the box to connect and make a new picture or contraption.
Moncage's story is completely optional and told exclusively through photographs found in the scenes, and the environments themselves. It feels disjointed and out of order, and it is designed to feel this way. The restrictions of staying within a box - the strange, yet familiar environments - all serve to tell a powerful tale of suffering and recovery. No more spoilers past that though! The story is infinitely more satisfying when you piece everything together at the end.
8 Shadow Of The Colossus
This game represents a slight deviation from this list, as it does feature some dialogue. However, this dialogue is minimal and only serves to order the player to their next target. Shadow of the Colossus is a game that takes a deep look into the repercussions of blindly following orders, and the old saying "the ends justify the means".
This game is considered a classic and a masterpiece for good reason. The story seems, at first, to be very cliche. We travel to a distant land, a princess in tow in order to revive her from death. We are clearly the good guys in this narrative... but are we? A powerful being directs us to kill 16 Colossi in order to restore the girl to life. What follows is a powerfully symbolic tale of man wreaking havoc on the environment for his own "righteous" ends, and the humanity he loses in doing so.
7 Rime
Rime is a bittersweet narrative experience. The game features a young boy washing up on the shore of an island with all his memories gone. With the help of a faithful fox companion, the boy must travel across the five areas of the island, in search of a red-cloaked figure.
As the story unfolds, the player can begin to make some association with the island to real concepts. The individual in the red cloak represents someone very near to the boy who he lost. The five areas of the island are representative of grief, and how the boy has to wander through each one with no clear goal or end in mind. This story alone is enough to make anyone tear up, but the ending is a real sucker punch and is guaranteed to start the waterworks as soon as the feeling of hollowness subsides.
6 Virginia
Virginia follows the tale of FBI agent Anne Tarver, who is tasked with locating a missing boy named Lucas Fairfax. Her case takes place in Virginia, hence the name of the game.
Anne's journey, though silent, is full of twists and turns. From cave-ins, to betrayals, to drug-induced visions of the future, Virginia has a little bit of everything. Just how does this game portray all of this with no dialogue? Well, you will just have to dive in and see. Virginia is available on Steam for PC users.
5 Florence
Florence follows the story of a young burnt-out woman. She is new to adulthood, and she has become stuck in the rut of life. Her days seem endless and without variety.
But all is not lost. Florence soon meets a young man and falls in love. In this short puzzle game, the player gets to ride along with Florence as she discovers the passions and pains associated with new love. Short and sweet is the name of the game in Florence, and it will only take you about half an hour to complete.
4 Metroid Prime
Most Metroid titles could be used for this entry, but the storytelling found within Metroid Prime is clear. In the fourth installment of the series, Samus investigates the ruins of a space pirate ship, and later tours the temple of the Chozo.
Along the way, Samus gets attacked by Meta-Ridley and loses her abilities. While exploring the Chozo ruins to get her powers back, the story of Metroid Prime can be deduced by environmental assets, a few placards, and context clues. All Metroid games require special attention to detail but make sure you go into this one with your eyes peeled.
3 The Last Guardian
From the creators of Shadow Of The Colossus comes another timeless silent tale. The Last Guardian follows the story of a young boy who has been abducted by a monster. Upon arriving at the monster's nest, the boy must escape and get back to his village.
The twist within this narrative is that the "monster" is simply misunderstood. In fact, the creature becomes the steadfast companion of the boy, helping ferry him across ledges, defeat enemies, and solve puzzles to progress. This is the heartwarming tale of a boy and his dog with the classic dark twist that these developers are known for.
2 Gris
Devolver Digital seems incapable of releasing a game of poor quality, and they continue to impress us with the 2018 title, Gris. Gris is reminiscent of the Playstation title, Journey, so any fans of that game should give this one a try.
Gris follows a girl trapped in a strange liminal world. As she travels, her dress gains new abilities to help her navigate obstacles. Like our previous entry, Rime, this game is all about navigating the five stages of grief. It is a beautiful and heartwarming experience that will leave you with a smile.
1 Solitude And Sadness
This game takes place in the 1950s, and the developers capture this mood very well. The entire game is in black and white, giving it a very noir feeling. As the name implies, this title focuses on dark themes.
This game is a sci-fi thriller, where the player takes on the role of an escaped test subject of a government facility. This 2D horror title is sure to get your blood pumping and bring you nostalgia for a time long passed.