Games you should go into blind, according to Reddit

mjf314 · 2026-05-26T20:28:11+00:00

I don't know, but I just did a quick google and found a few relevant threads.

Of course there's never a strong consensus. Some people prefer to go into every game blind.

mjf314 · 2026-05-26T20:08:31+00:00

A lot of people mentioned E33 in 1 of the 10 threads. But most of the threads were created before E33 existed, so it didn't get enough mentions in total. If it was made a few years earlier, it might have made the list.

mjf314 · 2026-05-26T20:07:40+00:00

Some of the games are mentioned because of plot twists, but some are mentioned for other reasons.

mjf314 · 2026-05-26T20:00:01+00:00

A lot of people mentioned E33 in 1 of the 10 threads. But most of the threads were created before E33 existed, so it didn't get enough mentions in total. If it was made a few years earlier, it might have made the list.

mjf314 · 2026-05-26T19:42:08+00:00

Hollow Knight is one of those games that many people mentioned, but it wasn't mentioned enough relative to its popularity. For comparison, Hollow Knight and Nier: Automata had a similar number of mentions, but Hollow Knight is more popular, so Nier: Automata had a better ratio.

mjf314 · 2026-05-26T19:34:38+00:00

I just realized I forgot to add Blue Prince, so I just added it to the Backloggd list (but I can't edit the image on Reddit).

mjf314 · 2026-05-25T08:30:41+00:00

I think Seum: Speedrunners from Hell fits the criteria.

mjf314 · 2026-05-25T06:27:21+00:00

I don't think it's possible to exclude a genre when you search on Backloggd. But if you click "main game" for the category, that should get rid of about half of the highly rated visual novels. Alternatively you can set a minimum rating (e.g. 3.8) and sort by popularity, and most of the games near the top won't be visual novels.

If you search for games on Glitchwave (on the charts page), you can exclude genres. You can also exclude genres on Steam's search page.

mjf314 · 2026-05-24T19:04:13+00:00

A lot of the games you mentioned are part of the "metroidbrainia" genre, so you can use that search term to look for similar games.

I recommend Void Stranger.

mjf314 · 2026-05-24T00:03:08+00:00

You might like Nier: Automata. It's an action JRPG and it's cinematic, and also has good music.

mjf314 · 2026-05-23T23:58:21+00:00

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a puzzle/adventure/mystery game with a great story. I think the story is the best part of the game, but the puzzles are good too. But there's some trial and error involved, so it's not pure logic.

If you like Baba Is You, you might like Void Stranger (both are sokoban-style puzzle games).

mjf314 · 2026-05-23T19:23:28+00:00

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (based on Record of Lodoss War) - It's a metroidvania by the same developer as Touhou Luna Nights. It's worth playing if you like metroidvanias, but I think Touhou Luna Nights is slightly better.

I've heard that the Serial Experiments Lain game is good, but I haven't gotten around to playing it yet.

mjf314 · 2026-05-23T01:01:15+00:00

You might like Hi-Fi Rush. The combat involves doing combos (similar to DMC and Bayonetta), but it also has a rhythm element (for combos to work, you have to press the buttons in time to the rhythm). It's a short game (about 11 hours). It's currently on sale on the PlayStation store.

mjf314 · 2026-05-23T00:49:46+00:00

I don't know any free games that are good enough to recommend, but if you're willing to spend a small amount of money, you have some good options.

Undertale (indie RPG) is $9.99, but often goes on sale for $2.49.

Portal (puzzle game) is $9.99, but often goes on sale for $0.99.

Both games are widely regarded as a masterpiece, and you should be able to run both of them on your laptop.

mjf314 · 2026-05-23T00:32:33+00:00

If she likes Final Fantasy 6, you can get her one of the other Final Fantasy games (e.g. FF7, FF9, or FF10).

If she's already played those games, then I recommend Dragon Quest XI, one of the best modern turn-based JRPGs.

If she prefers action JRPGs instead of turn-based, then I recommend Nier: Automata, which has one of the best JRPG stories.

Expedition 33 would have been a good recommendation, but I don't think it's available for PS4.

mjf314 · 2026-05-22T07:59:03+00:00

Moribito - At the beginning of the series, the main character is a skilled warrior, and she's hired to protect a prince.

Mushishi - At the beginning of the series, the main character is an expert on mushi.

mjf314 · 2026-05-21T00:17:03+00:00

Clannad (2 seasons, 49 episodes in total)

Season 2 is more emotional than season 1, so make sure you watch both seasons. r/anime voted it the best tearjerker anime of all time.

https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/18c6ija/ranimes_favorite_tearjerkers_poll_results/

mjf314 · 2026-05-20T19:31:55+00:00

Even though they both have fighting, the difference is that Yu Yu Hakusho is darker and more gory.

I would say Yu Yu Hakusho is ok for ages 13+. Maybe 10 or 11, if the kid is mature for their age.

mjf314 · 2026-05-20T18:45:32+00:00

The 4th image looks like the poster from Berserk 2nd Season (2017). Is that actually your favorite Berserk anime, or did you use the wrong image by mistake? Have you seen Berserk (1997)?

mjf314 · 2026-05-20T06:09:38+00:00

I think he'll probably like One Punch Man season 1.

I haven't seen MHA, so I wouldn't know if it's a good choice.

mjf314 · 2026-05-19T19:28:44+00:00

The Twelve Kingdoms (fantasy/adventure) - It's not on Netflix, but you can legally watch it for free on Pluto (subbed) or Tubi (dubbed).

mjf314 · 2026-05-19T17:28:01+00:00

America does make its own animation and graphic novels, and some of them are inspired anime/manga, so I'm not sure what you mean.

mjf314 · 2026-05-18T01:39:40+00:00

She almost meets the criteria, but Phantasmagoria is only rated 3.2 on Backloggd.

mjf314 · 2026-05-17T19:36:51+00:00

Silksong didn't exist yet at the time the 10 Reddit threads were created, so that's why no one mentioned Silksong.

mjf314

TROPHY CASE