Decarnation- Videogames As Art

Decarnation is a powerful game looking into the objectification and commodification of the female body. It's not your usual gaming fare then but this indie game follows the very real struggle of Gloria, an exotic dancer turning 30, and is set against a surreal, Lynchian dreamscape after the protagonist suffers 'The Event' (no spoilers). The game evokes a sense of unease and undergoes a deep dive into the character's psychological state to tell a dark tale that belies it's simple pixel art form.

It's a powerful story of the artistic body and the right people have over public figures. When Gloria poses for an artist and her statue is violated by a pervert in a museum, she feels abused and debased. The game reminded me of Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue or the ouvre of Junji Ito, where the main character feels like she is being stalked or slowly losing her mind as she is being manipulated and gaslit.

The narrative keeps you guessing what's real and what's a product of Gloria's fracturing mental state as the dreamlike, nightmarish reinforces this connection. Decarnation is not an easy game to stick with due to its main premise but it is one that will stay with you long after you've finished it. Games like this show that videogames can be a broad church.

Indika - Videogames As Art

I'm a fan of niche games, and this one definitely fits the bill. In Indika, you play as a young Russian nun tormented by a voice that whispers in her mind, seemingly the devil himself. Is it a genuine malevolent presence, or simply a figment of her imagination? As she embarks on a journey to deliver a letter to a distant church, she'll discover the truth.

The game blends the surreal atmosphere of David Lynch's work with the unsettling experience of a constant, intrusive voice, reminiscent of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Indika is a bizarre third-person puzzle platformer that juxtaposes stunningly realistic graphics with flights of pixelated fancy.

I had an interesting playing the game over a couple of nights and, at only 4 hours or so, it is a powerful game looking at the mysogyny that exists within society, mental health and what happens when you start to question your faith. It's not all existential dread or intrinsic shoe-gazing as there are genuine laugh out loud moments within the overarching story. I recommend this game as an indie pallette cleanser between the AAA onslaught we've had over the past couple of years.

Venba- Videogames As Art

The tale of first generation immigrants coming to a new country with high hopes and aspirations is an old one but not one that has been extensively covered in videogames.

Venba, a cozy game about a Tamil family immigrating to Canada, is a wonderful experience that beautifully captures the nuances of immigrant life: the longing for the familiar, the struggle to find your place in a new society, and the gradual process of finding a balance between your old and new identities.

Venba is a gentle reminder of the importance of our heritage and a touching tribute to the resilience of immigrant families. Through cooking dishes with the matriarch, you see the bond that develops between the family. This game is food for the soul.

Astro Bot - Videogames As Art

I know we have been starved of mascot platformers for a couple of console generations, with the exception of the usual Nintendo big hitters, so Astro Bot is a delightful reminder of what makes this genre so joyful. It doesn't reinvent the wheel so much as toy with it through the use of the revelatory haptic feedback and amazing draw distance. My favourite levels were the Japanese Gardens sponge (Bath House Battle), the knife throwing ghosts (Spooky Time) and Casino bullet time (Slow-Mo Casino), all which show the pure creativity. I had a great time with the game and made it last as long as possible, playing a couple of levels every few days. I bought it pretty much on release day and only finished it on 12th February 2025, but I wanted to savour it like a fine glass of Schloer.

It isn't the second coming of Christ like some have declared, with most levels following the usual platform fare, but what it is is an excellent platformer which is beautifully presented and done with obvious love for the PlayStation brand.

Still Wakes the Deep - Videogames As Art

It was with some excitement that I awaited Still Wakes the Deep, an atmospheric exploration adventure game, sometimes called in derisory terms as 'walking simulators'. I am a huge fan of the genre and find them good palette cleansers from other, more time and focus intensive games. I have loved the story and music of The Chinese Room’s other works including Everyone Has Gone to the Rapture and Dear Esther but the high point for me in the genre was What Remains of Edith Finch by Giant Sparrow Studios. Would Still Wakes the Deep reclaim the throne?

Still Wakes the Deeps effectively captures the claustrophobic dread of a 70s-era North Sea oil rig. The Lovecraftian horror elements are well-integrated, with the isolation and the rig's creaking metal amplifying the sense of dread. While I haven't personally experienced life on an oil rig, the game's atmosphere feels authentic and immersive

I liked the game itself just fine though but felt the fetch quests dragged in places. However, at 3 or so hours, the game doesn't really overstay its welcome and the voice acting is top notch.

World of Horror- Videogames As Art

Inspired by the eldritch horrors from the world of H. P. Lovecraft and the strange surreal works of Junji Ito, this roguelite point and click videogame is a wholly unique proposition. It's MS Paint 1-bit aesthetic is wonderfully evocative and creates an aesthetic rarely seen on games. The composition of its shots demonstrate an awareness and deep knowledge of the visual vocabulary of folk horror and thrillers.

This sense of mood and atmosphere is very evocative when playing and the effective soundscape and soundtrack helps further this sense of unease. The game has a intimidating looking CRPG interface and, after getting my head around it, the game was pretty easy to play. Here are some screenshots from my play.

Solar Ash- Videogames As Art

I’ve just finished Solar Ash, a visually stunning and kinetic action-adventure videogame from Heart Machine studios. The game mixes a horcrux-like finding exploration of different biomes before culminating in Shadow of the Colossus big boss battles. The game has a fluid protagonist who skates along and does some fantastic gymnastics.

The 8 hour gameplay loop is addictive and looks spectacular when running. Here are some screenshots of my playthrough.

Stray- Videogames As Art

Stray gained a lot of hype before release as it was billed by many as a cat simulator game and the internet loves cats. I didn't play it upon release as I had so many other games I was working through but, when a window of time came up after finishing the RE 4 Remake, I bought this on sale to have a shorter experience.

The story, such as it is, is that you are a cat in a dystopian future. You need to survive against crazed robots and a violent world when you fall from the lush green overworked into the depths below. The game is gorgeous as the lush green world at the beginning contrasts heavily with the dark, damp pipe system and the sodium orange and neon hues of the decaying lower city.

I enjoyed the game just fine and, whilst some of the puzzles are obtuse and unclear, the artistry of world-building and graphics is stunning. Here are some screenshots of my playthrough.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom- Videogames As Art

Nintendo has been a firm fixture in my gaming life since I was about 8 years old. Zelda: Ocarina of Time remained my favourite ever game until it was surpassed by Breath of the Wild just 6 years ago. It was with some high level of expectation that I was awaiting the release of Tears of the Kingdom and I have not been disappointed. I clocked in 121 hours on my Switch in 2023 and 83 hours was on TOTK.

This was by far my most played game this year across my PS5, PS4 and Switch.

It is an absolute masterpiece and, whilst I prefer Breath of the Wild due to its fresh approach to an openworld gaming, I appreciate the novelty of the Ultrahand power which led to some crazy builds and possibilities.

Here are screenshots of my playthrough.

Resident Evil 4: Remake- Videogames As Art

I have a deep love for Resident Evil with RE 7 and Village being a couple of my most recent favourites from the series. I have fond memories of playing RE 4 on the Gamecube when it was a timed exclusive and it immediately became one of my favourite games ever. It was a hugely influential game and changed the landscape of 3rd person shooters forever.

When I heard a remake was underway I was a little concerned that it would lose its B-movie vibe and, whilst some of the more ridiculous edges have been sanded down, what remains is still a great game. Sure, it doesn’t have the quirks that made the original goofy but the game is solid enough with phenomenal set-pieces that stand the test of time.

Road 96- Videogames As Art

Road 96 is a first person adventure game in which you take the lives of several individuals trying to escape a despotic totalitarian dictatorship in a made up country (which is definitely America) in 1996. The youths all seek a way out through a passage north to a land of freedom and equality (a definite stand-in for Canada). The game is tense, exciting, hilarious but also sad in places. The message it gives is that change and progress is worth fighting for. The art style is singular with an economy of design that really lends the whole game an artistic bend. I loved it and here are some screenshots of my playthrough.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart- Videogames As Art

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a mascot shooter-platformer game that was much feted on its arrival at the start of the new console generation. I had never played any of the previous games in the series but knew they were well liked. I bought the game whilst it was on discount and enjoyed my time with it- it is an exceedingly beautiful game which is well designed. Here are screenshots of my playthrough.

Dordogne- Videogames As Art

Dordogne may be the perfect game to play in the summer holidays as you play a young woman revisiting her Grandma's home where she spent a formative summer as a pre-teen. The game is presented in a stunning watercolour style and this choice of medium is perfect at conveying nostalgia of the past, vibrant and detailed in places but blurred and fuzzy in others.
It may only be a few hours long, but it's long enough to leave an impression on you, one that'll have you feeling reflective and nostalgic yourself.

Alba : A Wildlife Adventure- Videogames as Art

I was looking for a cozy game to play with my daughters over the summer holidays and bought Alba:  A Wildlife Adventure. The game is by Ustwo studios, the folks behind Monument Valley, and what appealed to me was the idea that you play as a pre-teen girl who is trying to help the environment and save a nature reserve.

My own girls are really into nature trails and love animals, especially birds, so the gameplay loop of traveling around a beautiful island, taking pictures of different species and cleaning the environment, sounded perfect.

We loved playing the game together as the joyful music, simple but effective art style and inclusive nature (there's a woman with a headscarf and people from different backgrounds) really made this a joyful game.

Gley Lancer- Videogames As Art

I have a huge amount of love for shoot 'em ups or *shmups* as they are now commonly called. This genre has always held a special place in my heart as once the enemy patterns are learnt and memorised you can look like a boss completing a game. I have a clear memory of playing R-type at Heathrow airport and getting to level 3, that huge base ship. I bought the game on the Amstrad CPC 464 and felt like a bad-ass as my little ship took down a warship that was bigger than a screen, in fact it was a whole level in and of itself.

Over the years, I bought R-Type again on the Master System and then progressed to the Megadrive where I continued my love of shoot 'em ups. The Thunderforce series was excellent and I felt 3 and 4 were a high benchmark.
After that, bullet hell games became derigeur and traditional shoot' em ups became less popular, especially here in the West. So when I heard that a rare and classic of the genre was coming out on the Switch I bought a digital copy. I had never played Gley Lancer before but had heard it highly praised.

Playing it I was blown away and the sense of nostalgia flooded me-not because of experience with the game but it took me back to the early 90s when the Megadrive hair rock chiptunes were banging, the weapon upgrades were awesome and the speech was crispy and crunchy and left you guessing as to what had been said. The game cutscenes are beautiful and the story anime AF but that's not a knock, it is a product of its time and I'm here for it.

Goodbye Volcano High- Videogames As Art

Goodbye Volcano High is a visual novel, music rhythm and teen drama game. The game has been on my radar ever since I'd seen the screenshots in Edge a while ago and the trailer cemented the feeling that this would probably be my bag. Having played and finished it over a couple of nights, I can most definitely say that it is my cup of T-Rex.... I'll get me coat.

It brought back waves of nostalgia for the 00s teen high-school dramas that I occasionally watched on T4. The earnestness, self belief and, yes, arrogance that you have in yourself as you feel that what you're doing is important and matters as a later teen... the feeling that this moment will last forever, is captured beautifully here.

I was never a Dawson's Creek guy but more into The OC and this hits like that. Now, I'm not saying Barking, Essex, England was anything like Orange County but the idea of a small local area where music opened up possibilities to something more than the crumbing ruin around you is something very teen. The only other game that made me feel like this was Night in the Woods as it was similarly relatable. Both games know that music soundtracks your life and moments and are formative- forever intwined in your memory.

I don't think we'll have that again as there is just so much content now but back then there was more of a monoculture. The same artists and songs would play on the radio but when you found your band, your tribe, you felt your true self. For me, it was the Manic Street Preachers' Design for Life that was formative. However, going back and listening to their previous The Holy Bible album blew me away. Well, it was this, Interpol's Antics, Arcade Fire's debut Funeral and Muse's Absolution. These albums soundtracked my formative mid to late teen years.

Anyways, the game is emotional and has enough truthiness to hit as well as being a metaphor for climate collapse so enjoy this game of existential dread and ennui mixed with camaraderie and hope.

Last Stop- Videogames As Art

Last Stop is wonderfully atmospheric narrative-driven adventure game, in the style of what some people sometimes called in derogatory terms, 'walking simulators.' As opposed to many walking simulators, this game places you in the role of different characters across three different but ultimately converging stories, all set within a fictional part of London.

Over the course of 6 chapters per story, It gets progressively weirder. We start off in the 70s with some scallywags nicking a copper’s hat, to a trio of kids doing gas and skipping school whilst watching a creepy neighbour, to an 80s inspired Freaky Friday style bodyswap piece to a kitchen sink melodrama featuring a spec-ops government official.

Ghost of Tsushima- Videogames As Art

Over the past year, I've been overwhelmed with the sheer choice of amazing AAA games. I working my way through the unholy trinity: Elden Ring (167 hours), God of War: Ragnarok (31 hours) and Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West (31 hours). I found myself at a bit of a loose end after completing these and, after taking a bit of break, thought I’d work my way through games I’d had my eyes on but never got around to. So, I bought and played through Ghost of Tsushima, an Akira Kurosawa inspired open-world game. I loved the experience and thought the clever hidden HUD, which used the wind to guide you, was an ingenious idea. I enjoyed the story and though the story of growth of protagonist Jin was very well done.

Here are some screenshots from my playthrough:

Sackboy: A Big Adventure- Videogames As Art

I'm a bit of a platforming fan. Nintendo has been a huge part of this as its creativity and uniqueness in creating wonderful gaming experiences that you can play with your family has been pretty much unchallenged for years; Super Mario 3D World, Yoshi's Crafted World and Kirby's Epic Yarn are all great fun. The sheer creativity and wealth of ideas on show has been crazy.

In the past few years, there have been a few challengers to the throne. Rayman Origins, A Hat in Time and now, I’d like to add Sackboy: A Big Adventure. The game is bursting with personality but the soundtrack is what really sets this game apart. As well as unique tracks there are bangers like Britney’s Toxic, Bowie’s Let’s Dance and Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk. The gameplay is usually reactive to the soundtrack and it just really pulls you in and helps the gameplay flow very well. Check out screenshots of my playthrough.

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow- Videogames As Art

I recently completed The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, a folk horror point and click adventure game. The story follows you as Thomasina, a barrow digger, who carries out an excavation in Bewlay, a quintessential British folk horror village set in the moors, where the English locals don't like outsiders. As she excavates, Thomasina discovers the eldritch horror that lurk beneath the village that rendered her father, who had excavated the same site 25 years earlier, catatonic.

The sense of creeping dread is wonderful as you know Thomasina is not okay as she recalls her story in flashback, but can you save her? I won't spoil it but this is one of finest games I've played in many a year purely based on the story, however the pixel art, sound design and voice acting are also excellent.

Check out screenshots from my playthrough, below.