We’re reaching peak AAA season here in the games universe which in past years has signaled the hibernation of the indie community. Turns out, we’re way more resilient than that now. This week we’ve got a handful of imaginative games that defy traditional classification.

Figment

Media critics throw around the phrase “dreamlike” on what feels like a daily basis. This film feels dream like, this song sounds like a dream, etc… Figment is one of the first games I’ve played that feels like being wrapped in a heavy blanket and slowly falling asleep. Usually sort of feeling would be a criticism but Figment knows exactly what it’s doing.

The game itself is a puzzler/ exploration but reducing the game into genres misses the point. Figment’s art, design, and music all work together to drive home the sleepy feeling. Yeah the art is gorgeous, and sure the music is great but the game is way more than the sum of its parts.

Doki Doki Literature Club

Who wants some wholesome anime adventures? Nestle up with the Doki Doki Literature Club! Experience the heart pounding thrills of running a high school literature club with your best friends. Surely nothing will go wrong in such an idyllic anime world.

Doki Doki Literature Club didn’t look like my kind of game at first. Saccharine slice-of-life anime has never been my bag but after enough people recommended the game to me I decided to check it out. I won’t go into any of the plot of the game for fear of spoilers, but if the aesthetic doesn’t immediately grab you there is probably still something to love in the game.  

Tracks: The Train Set Game

Let’s start this recommendation out with a question: Do you like trains? I’m guessing that outside of enthusiast communities the answer is going “sure I guess” accompanied by a shrug. Well it’s time to get excited about trains because Tracks is here to consume your afternoon.

Tracks isn’t about real trains, no those are complicated and fiddly. Tracks is a game about toy trains and the tracks (get it) they ride around on. I’ve long maintained that games --and all art-- should challenge you physically or mentally in some way but Tracks is a thorn in the side of that argument. There’s not really a “challenge” to Tracks, as far as I can gather it’s a game primarily about hangin’ out with your trainset and recreating the feelings of your youth. If you ever wanted to play trains but skip having 15 pounds of wooden pieces around your house, Tracks is for you.

What have you discovered this week? Is there something you want to shout from the rooftops about? Let us know in the comments below.