GamingPCPC Games

What are the best PC games with a sense of being alone?

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Limbo vs The Stanley Parable vs Gone Home

 vs Don't Starve vs Dear Esther vs MirrorMoon EP vs Glitchhikers

Specs

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Platforms

-

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Publisher

-

Controller Support

-

Developer

-

Multi-Player

-

Minimum System Specs

-

VR Support

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Platforms

Windows, Linux, Mac

Genre

Adventure, Interactive Story

Co-Op

-

Publisher

-

Controller Support

-

Developer

-

Multi-Player

-

Minimum System Specs

-

VR Support

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Platforms

-

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Publisher

-

Controller Support

-

Developer

-

Multi-Player

-

Minimum System Specs

-

VR Support

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Platforms

Win / Mac / Linux

Genre

Survival / Open World / Sandbox / Indie

Co-Op

No

Publisher

Klei Entertainment

Controller Support

Full

Developer

Klei Entertainment

Multi-Player

No

Minimum System Specs

Win XP / 1.7+ Ghz CPU / 1+ GB RAM / 256 MB Dedicated Memory / 500 MB Available Space

VR Support

No

Steam Rating

Mostly Positive

Platforms

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Linux, macOS

Genre

First-Person Exploration

Co-Op

-

Publisher

-

Controller Support

-

Developer

-

Multi-Player

-

Minimum System Specs

-

VR Support

-

Steam Rating

Mixed

Platforms

-

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Publisher

-

Controller Support

-

Developer

-

Multi-Player

-

Minimum System Specs

-

VR Support

-

Steam Rating

-

Platforms

-

Genre

-

Co-Op

-

Publisher

-

Controller Support

-

Developer

-

Multi-Player

-

Minimum System Specs

-

VR Support

-

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Artistic puzzler

Limbo has very unique environment with highly creative puzzles that offer a great experience with monochrome, b/w and other dim colors.
Comment

Pro
 Unique black and white aesthetic

Limbo uses (what was once) a very unique monochromatic color scheme to give an atmospheric feel.
Comment

Con
 Keyboard controls not that good

Movement is locked to the arrow keys instead of wasd.
Comment

Pro
 Exceptional narration

Excellently crafted, hilarious writing delivered by a well spoken, charismatic British narrator. Kevan Brighting has become somewhat of a cult success since the game due to its cult like status which just shows how deserving he is due to how well done the narration of the game is done.
Comment

Pro
 Discusses the illusion of choice in games

One of the main themes of the game is the illusion of choice that's presented in games. While a player can make a vast number of decisions in the game, the narrator reminds the player he can only make decisions that the game allows him to and how the game manipulates the player into making them. The narrator points out that not just common choices such as what path to take to get from point A to point B, how to approach a certain situation or what ethical choices are available are limited to the game's designers having thought of and implemented those aspects of the game, but decisions such as purposeful suicide, not taking action, disobeying instructions and even turning off the game are only there if the game allows them to be there.
Comment

Pro
 Points out narrative limitations in games by encouraging breaking narrative structure through gameplay

The game encourages players to explore decisions that would change the meaning of the presented story. What if you took a left turn where the game asked you to take a right? What if you decided not to push a big red button needed to continue playing because you didn't agree with pushing the big red button? What if you died in a boss battle? How would that affect the narrative of the game? The game rewards you for not following the "intended" narrative structure of the situation in order to point out how the structure is unavoidable in games as a whole. The process of attempting to break the structure can be highly satisfying in The Stanley Parable and can help you better notice limitations of narrative in other games.
Comment

Pro
 Insightful commentary on state of game design

The game tackles topics such as ludonarrative dissonance, choice in games, narrative limitations, etc while mostly focusing on the relationship between the game and the player in terms of storytelling in a very meaningful, educated and entertaining way.
Comment

Pro
 The game has a lot of different endings to find

There are numerous ending to the game that appear to play out even when the player makes the same choices as their last playthrough.
Comment

Con
 More an interactive story than an actual game

The Stanley Parable is not much of a game in the strictest sense but more an interactive story or interactive "art".
Comment

Pro
 Interesting side stories

Besides the main story there are several side stories in the game that center around the rest of the people who live in the house. Through interacting with objects in the house one learns of the surrounding circumstances of those that live there.
Comment

Pro
 Deep environmental storytelling

Through interacting with objects in the environment of the game (a house) one is able to learn piecemeal the story that the game is set out to tell.
Comment

Con
 Weak voice acting

While most of the voice acting is adequate there are many moments that stick out as poorly done and lessens the experience of the game.
Comment

Pro
 Easily accessible, organically emergent gameplay

The game starts out easy, with very little in terms of mechanics, and the single objective of not starving. Then, over time, new mechanics are introduced fluidly - the game provides very little guidance, leaving players to figure out how things work for themselves. In addition to game mechanics, even goals and story elements are unveiled organically over time.
Comment

Pro
 Rewarding roguelike gameplay

The basic gameplay revolves around gathering resources for crafting in a wilderness where the flora and fauna are constantly trying to kill you. Levels are procedurally generated.
Comment

Pro
 Uniquely atmospheric art style

Don't Starve has a very unique art style, using two dimensional or 2d characters and items in a 3d world gives a very interesting artsy feel to the game. The hand drawn look and feel to the graphics are a nice change of pace from ultra realistic games, but it doesnt take away from the suspense.
Comment

Pro
 Pleasantly twisted sense of humor

Random quips from characters, infotext and the world itself (such as the existence of werepigs) show glimpses of a dark sense of humor throughout.
Comment

Pro
 Lots of replayability

With randomly generated (customizable) levels, different characters, ever-unfolding story elements, and permadeath, the game offers a lot of variety within the goal of constantly striving to survive longer.
Comment

Pro
 Easily customized to adjust difficulty

The game gives you a lot of world customization options. You can change the length of day, weather patterns, how much of each monster or resource spawns, etc. This effectively allows you to adjust how difficult you wish the game to be.
Comment

Pro
 Very active modding community with numerous mods available

Using the Steam Workshop, Don't Starve has a very active modding community. With nearly 800 mods currently available, there are unlimited ways you can change your Don't Starve experience.
Comment

Pro
 There's never a dull moment

As the game progresses, it offers more and more mechanics that require constant attention to function properly. It becomes a constant re-evaluation of risk and reward.
Comment

Con
 Constant restarts can be drawn out and boring

The beginning of a playthrough starts out pretty slow, which is exacerbated by the fact that the player will need to restart many many times as the game is a rouguelike, so permanent death is something that will be encountered often.
Comment

Pro
 Gorgeous, intricately detailed environments

There is no arguing that the scenery and graphics in Dear Esther is jaw dropping gorgeous. Due to how nothing can be interacted with the environment can be rendered in a much more beautiful way as not much needs to change while walking around.
Comment

Pro
 Beautiful soundtrack

The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful which suits the games visual atmosphere quite well.
Comment

Pro
 Narrative driven experience

There are no waypoint markers, no quests, in fact nobody else in this world except the player and the narrator. Hike through the world and discover the inner workings of this person’s mind.
Comment

Pro
 Can be relaxing

Just sit back, relax, and spend some time with Dear Esther. The experience isn’t long and there’s no pressure to go past the pace you want to go. While it does have a sense of loneliness and isolation the graphics are beautiful and the music is soothing which also lends a hand in the relaxedness of the title.
Comment

Pro
 Pervasive sense of isolation, loneliness, and mystery

The game takes place on an abandoned island, so in a practical sense the player is alone. Add to that that this is a bit of a ghost story and mystery becomes enwrapped within the isolation of the island making for what is as much of an experience as it is a game that makes for a feeling and sense of loneliness and despair that often is only found in real life.
Comment

Con
 Short gameplay

Only about 90 minutes to two hours long which is pretty short for a game and can easily be finished in a single sitting.
Comment

Pro
 No other life forms

All of the planets in the game do not have any inhabitants making for a very solitary feeling title.
Comment

Pro
 Explore a vast universe

The game allows the player to explore unnamed worlds in order to solve puzzles on them, through this exploration the player gets to visit a vast universe of unexplored planets.
Comment

Pro
 Far different than any game you'll ever play

The central hub of the game is a vast array of dials and switches that are sparsely defined making for a very explorative environments, from there you will go to many different planets that have crazy color designs. While a very solitary title due to no life forms on these planets it gives the player a chance to really absorb the different worlds and their own control panel.
Comment

Pro
 Basically no instructions

Comment

Pro
 Zen gameplay about discovery

Comment

Pro
 Best soundtrack

Comment

Pro
 Beautiful world

Comment

Con
 Can get boring

The nature of the game allows for what can become quite boring in that there is little guidance and also little to see making for an experience that can become quite "samey".
Comment

Pro
 Weird interactions

Throughout the game you will be picking up strange characters who are hitchhikers, through conversations with these hitchhikers you will be partaking in even stranger conversations that you are giving the power to choose your responses to. This makes for a very unique experience that is not often seen in a game.
Comment

Pro
 Almost a philosophical experience

There is not much to accomplish in the game, it is more an experience where the player is guided through a philosophical journey of nighttime driving, loneliness and isolation.
Comment

Con
 Very short

The game only lasts about 15 minutes per playthrough and so makes for a very short experience.
Comment
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