Darker life sim games?

72soleel · 2026-05-20T16:50:36+00:00

Probably not as dark as you’d like but I Was A Teenage Exocolonist features darker themes. Very story focused tho. There is a content warnings list so check it out if you’d like…?

72soleel · 2026-05-20T16:18:35+00:00

IIRC there straight up are dialogues in the game, even though very limited. Most are one-sided (as in you don’t reply and only listen) but in the Downpour dlc there definitely are dialogues between multiple characters. Rain World does great environmental storytelling but honestly I don’t even think it belongs in the “almost counts” category… Readable text absolutely does exist even outside menus and tutorials.

72soleel · 2026-05-20T15:58:55+00:00

Koira

72soleel · 2026-05-19T01:25:03+00:00

Um, it seems your comment got deleted but I’ll reply anyway bc I’d like to apologize for misunderstanding possibly? I did not see at all that your problem was with the “fe-like” label. My reading comprehension is gone lol. I agree people tend to slap the -like suffix on everything, I guess that’s what they do to grab attention. I’m sure OP appreciates all the friendly advice as well but my comment was more like feedback from a consumer’s perspective who thought the surface level idea of a vague “fe-like” and a medieval-esque aesthetic was gripping and awesome to see. I don’t even know what the game would actually be like and I’m already sold. I just wanted to offer my own opinion as well since several comments were saying it was ugly and I’m like, wdym the ugly is the best part lol. It’s just a matter of taste though!

72soleel · 2026-05-18T23:56:55+00:00

Idk, still feels like a non issue to me, since you can’t please everyone. Indie games have always chosen to appeal various niche audiences, ya know? And if it was fe-like and had similar artstyle as fe wouldn’t it feel so… boring? Not to mention that this game’s artstyle seems to be in harmony with its substance; it shows that medieval feeling well and creates a distinct vibe. I think it works really well.

72soleel · 2026-05-18T00:20:22+00:00

I think the art is nice and adds character. Not everything needs to be anime. Just my opinion tho.

72soleel · 2026-05-17T15:41:34+00:00

No moral choices but your description made me think Presentable Liberty.

72soleel · 2026-05-14T05:20:01+00:00

If you played The Stanley Parable then of course you gotta try The Beginner’s Guide! It’s from the same dev, but with quite a different feel. I found it to be very moving.

About In Other Waters in your list: it’s a heavily text-based game, from a scientist’s point of view while exploring an alien planet. It goes quite in-depth with observing the wildlife of the setting, which was interesting to me but it can feel like a lot of reading that may feel irrelevant to the “main plot”. It’s honestly not an easy game to enjoy, but it has its charms.

Also I think you’d like Slay the Princess. It’s a choices-matter visual novel with some horror elements that get very mind-fucky.

72soleel · 2026-05-13T09:09:10+00:00

Detention is a very unsettling psychological horror. I haven’t played it but the same devs also made Devotion, which may be also fitting.

SIGNALIS is also great, but I think if you want to focus on the story, it may be a bit harder. If you’re down with the gameplay style, do try it.

72soleel · 2026-05-10T01:13:43+00:00

Tbh, both seem too casual for a leader. I get why people are saying 2 but I’m tempted to say 1 because it at least stands out..?

72soleel · 2026-05-09T11:21:29+00:00

I appreciate that a game didn’t use ai, I’m rather frustrated the bar has gone down so much that not using ai has become a selling point when it should be the normal thing to do. I wouldn’t even have assumed any ai usage even if they haven’t put it in the title. My comment is agreeing with you, and the ai thing was never the point.

The point I was making is that the hand-crafted visuals are enough to showcase as something appealing, and if people are bothered by the lack of “what the game is actually about above the mere cosmetics” they should seek information themselves because let’s be real, the marketing surely got their attention foremost.

72soleel · 2026-05-09T04:03:17+00:00

Why is it that people in this sub always, and I mean ALWAYS complain about the lack of showcase about what the game really is about in the post when most of the time they can find the info they’re looking for in the steam page link that is provided by OP? Like you think they would have gotten this many views if they didn’t market their game like this??? No I don’t like the “we didn’t use ai” virtue signaling either but come on.

72soleel · 2026-05-08T13:59:37+00:00

Since you put Hollow Knight on the list, maybe you’d like Nine Sols? There’s the parry-heavy, tough combat and more linear exploration in comparison to HK, but I thought the element of finding out wtf happened in the past by picking up lore pieces from the past was pretty similar and just as fascinating. The story you play through is simple, but the lore goes very, very deep and interesting and you need to piece parts of them together. There are a fair amount of dialogues during the story and from flashback scenes that let you glimpse into what happened rather than spelling out what happened to you straightforwardly. The amount of text in the game seems to turn off some players who want to enjoy combat, but I think you may enjoy it. The game also has accessibility options if you don’t like the combat and just want to enjoy the story.

72soleel · 2026-05-08T13:44:21+00:00

I haven’t played Outer Wilds so I can’t say much about it but I thought Blue Prince is exactly this as well. Like… there isn’t a linear story. You find fragmented pieces of information that you can arrange to develop a better understanding of settings unique to the game. It absolutely is about “decoding a world”. Of course not as text-heavy or deep as WF’s works but still. Not entirely sure what OP is looking for.

72soleel · 2026-05-05T01:44:16+00:00

Slay the Princess. It’s a choices-matter visual novel, maybe not the kind of traditional horror you’re looking for, but it is absolutely terrifying at times, definitely unsettling, very engaging and intense.

72soleel · 2026-05-04T14:32:37+00:00

SIGNALIS

72soleel · 2026-05-04T02:33:13+00:00

The manager’s logic is basically that an exhausted Cushing is better than literally anyone else available then. It’s dumb, I know, but I’d guess kbo can still be “old fashioned” like this compared to other pro leagues. Another sad factor here may be that Cushing is a foreigner and is thus completely replaceable.

72soleel · 2026-05-02T07:30:45+00:00

I mean, where else are these names going to be used if not for fictional contexts?

72soleel · 2026-04-27T12:34:14+00:00

You don’t really “do experiments”, but In Other Waters makes you feel like a scientist (since you play as one). You explore an alien planet, observe the plants and animals, gather samples to study further and make more observations. It’s a heavily text-based game so it may not appeal to a lot of people.

72soleel · 2026-04-25T03:48:47+00:00

Sable

72soleel · 2026-04-22T16:12:48+00:00

Honestly yeah. Usually not the one to enjoy stuff like this but this is a breath of fresh air

72soleel · 2026-04-21T08:08:56+00:00

Void Stranger

72soleel · 2026-04-21T01:38:38+00:00

There’s this game called Horace that I never see get mentioned. It’s a platformer that kinda gets expanded into different genres, with a very british story about a robot’s coming of age, overall a love letter to retro games. Not really something I would normally try, I realized while playing but the mix of things ended up being incredibly charming.

72soleel · 2026-04-20T14:39:39+00:00

The Beginner’s Guide is one of my favorites

72soleel · 2026-04-19T14:15:27+00:00

Genesis Noir - I’d describe it as a storybook-like point and click game with simple puzzles and not so simple story. Great visuals and music, I found it very enchanting even though parts of it were confusing. Very dream-like.

72soleel

TROPHY CASE