OUR FAVOURITES
Games without words
Samorost 3
Peculiar cosmic journey
You can tell a tale using more than just words. Like a silent film, these three games weave a subtle narrative through their environment, atmosphere and character cues alone, and the effect is spellbinding.
Adventure without borders
In Samorost 3, you’re a little space gnome-type guy who encounters all sorts of strange creatures on your intergalactic travels. You don’t speak the same language, so you have to get by with gestures and drawings.
You also have a magical flute capable of collecting ambient noise. It records random sounds like birds chirping, mushroom spirits shrieking, and wind blowing, and plays them back. Some help you solve puzzles on your quest, while others are of little importance – just nature doing its thing. For worlds devoid of words, they’re far from silent.
Nightmarish silhouettes
LIMBO not only did away with languages, it also rid its world of colours. As Dante Alighieri describes in The Divine Comedy, limbo is the edge of hell where those who died in original sin reside in the afterlife. So what are you doing in such a dreadful place? “Uncertain of his sister’s fate, a boy enters limbo” is all the game’s official description offers.
The game begins in an eerie forest. Silhouetted monsters roam the land. The world is still and quiet, but you know danger lurks near. You must make your way past a wide range of obstacles, each representing a different fear of the little boy you control. The wordless story culminates with a confusing ending that to this day is heavily debated. Try this game and see what you make of it.
Soar like a star
Gemini is the story of two stars hanging on to one another as they traverse the land and soar through the skies. You’ll fly through lush forests, golden dusks, freezing winds and northern lights. Flying requires finesse, especially coordinating the two stars’ movements; but the game doesn’t hold your hand – you’ll have to figure it all out yourself.
The developer avoided text entirely so that players could appreciate the game’s design in its purest form. Are the two stars family, friends or lovers? From a clumsy pair to working like a well-oiled machine, they fly across the serene night sky, leaving you to consider the nature of their relationship.