- Crab Game
Despite the fact that the award-winning Netflix series Squid Game was produced as a commentary on South Korea’s expanding wealth gap, the show’s focus on poverty and the inhumanity of late-stage capitalism connected with people all over the world, leading to the series’ global success. It’s no surprise that clones have cropped up in response to the game’s success, such as the free-to-play Steam title Crab Game.
A large number of people participate in life-or-death duties for a chance to win money in the game, as in the programme. Unlike the show, these games aren’t real, and the violence is very cartoonish. The fact that the game has been categorised as psychological horror by Steam players, though, shows that it can’t ignore the original message entirely.
- The Stanley Parable
The Stanley Parable is a 2011 adventure game that started out as a Half Life 2 mod before being re-released as its own product. The Path, an obscure horror game, served as inspiration. Stanley, a mute protagonist and office worker, is dragged into a story by an unseen narrator in the game. The narrator will try to guide Stanley via various alternatives during the game, and the player will have to determine whether Stanley should follow or disregard the narrator. The player will receive one of many different endings depending on their choices, after which they will be returned to the beginning of the game to try to find alternate endings. The Stanley Parable asks players to consider whether their choices in video games have any impact.
- Outlaw Hypnos Hypnos Hypnos Hypnos Hypnos Hypnos
It takes place in a parallel universe in the year 1999. Outlaw by Hypnos is a point-and-click detective game that closely recreates late-90s internet culture and style. The player takes on the role of an enforcer entrusted with keeping the huge Hypnos pace, a new application that allows people to surf the internet while sleeping, under control. As they study various thorough webpages, the player must be on the lookout for copyright infringement, cyberbullying spyware, and more. However, the player will be exposed to both the best and worst of the internet while doing so, and they will have to observe both the firm and the general public attempt to coexist and govern cyberspace’s wild west.
- Enemy Boyfriend
One of the best visual novels in recent years is Hatoful Boyfriend, a 2011 parody game in which the player controls a human lady who attends a school for birds. In keeping with dating sim tropes, the player is tasked with courting a slew of male pigeons who serve as love interests by making decisions that allow them to continue down their respective paths. Despite the fact that each path contains a unique element, such as spies or ghosts, the game begins as a typical rom-com dating sim. However, after playing the game a few times, the player discovers a secret path that reveals the dark truths behind the game’s events. Hatoful Boyfriend Holiday Star was released following the success of the first film, along with several supplementary materials such as a webcomic and four drama CDs.
5. Segaga
Segagaga, a spoof RPG that mimics what it was like to work at Sega at the time, is one of many amazing Japanese games that was never officially translated into English. The game stars Tar Sega, a young adolescent tasked with helping Sega reclaim the console market from DOGMA, the game’s primary competitor. It was one of the last Dreamcast games to be released in 2001. Tar must do so by touring Sega’s headquarters, assisting in the production of new games, and combating a number of Sega employees who have spent so much time at work that they have mutated into something other than human. Overall, the game was a satire on Sega’s financial troubles, fears that the company might perish, and a slew of other issues that still afflict the industry.
6. Conker’s Bad Fur
In 2001, Rare produced a game for the Nintendo 64. Rare’s other popular cartoonish platformers, such as Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64, are parodied in Conker’s Bad Fur Day. Unlike previous games marketed at children, this one is aimed at adults and has profanities, filthy comedy, graphic violence, and more, all while keeping the bright colours and cartoon characters. Because it was released near the conclusion of the Nintendo 64’s lifespan, the game did not sell well, but it has since become a cult classic. In 2005, Conker Live & Reloaded, a remake for the Xbox, was released.
7. Moon: A Remix RPG Adventure
Despite the fact that Undertale popularised the concept of anti-RPGs, many RPGs have departed from standard RPG themes long before Undertale. Moon: Remix RPG Adventure, a PlayStation game released in 1997, follows a young boy who is transported into the world of the RPG Moon, which he was playing at the time on his Gamestation. The player is entrusted with exploring the world and mending the damage caused by the game’s protagonist as a “supporting character.” To stay in the world for longer, the player must raise their “Love Level,” which can be done by assisting NPCs and creatures who have been wounded by “the hero.” Toby Fox noted that despite the fact that the game was only recently translated, it was this game that inspired him to create Undertale.
