The epitome of what I’m trying to refer to is the Playdead games (Limbo and Inside). Dark Souls and BioShock both hit on this idea but not quite so directly. The game BADLAND is also a great example of this, too. The mobile game The Silent Age also did this exceptionally well. Never quite knowing what’s going on, and maybe some tension without release, but again not straight up horror. A feeling of uneasiness is what I’m looking for.

When playing through Inside, there’s never any moments where you’re scared, but you’re never sure what’s going on and there’s always a level of unease. What are all the mindless zombie-like people? Why is everyone hunting the player? What happened to this city? What’s the goal of the character the player controls? What exactly is going on here? That’s what I’m looking for. If you know of any other games which do this, I’d greatly appreciate hearing about them. It’s a very specific niche so I’m not sure how many games do this, but the games that I’ve seen do this tend to be some form of post-disaster or dystopia. I’ve seen some great artwork do this too. Zdzisław Beksiński had done some stuff like this. Some great dystopian novels also do this quite well.

    • cod@lemmy.worldOPM
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      1 year ago

      I’ve heard as such. I also love nautical themes in general (no surprise given my username), so I’ve been meaning to play it for quite a while. Thanks for reminding me of this game

      • dom@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        If you like crafting bases, this sounds like it would be right up your alley, then

        Be sure to clear off the next few evenings when you start it

        • cod@lemmy.worldOPM
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          1 year ago

          I usually only get one day off work at a time so I’ll use up my paid vacation to play this game 😎

    • SharkEatingBreakfast@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      Seconding Subnautica.

      It was one of the few games I’ve played where I felt sad finishing it.

      The sequel does not have the same vibe, though, so be aware of that. It’s an okay game, but it definitely misses the vibe the original.

    • FollyDolly@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I loved Subnautica, but it was too scary and claustrophobic for me to finish because I am a weenie. The first time I had to go down to that abandoned underwater cave base shivers