These Five Video Games Are More Than Just Competitions—They’re An Artform

For those unfamiliar with video games, it may be difficult to see them as pieces of art. You might also think that if you look at them as simply a way to pass time. 

I know not every game is a work of art, even if they have incredible artistic designs like Cuphead (2017) or incredible storytelling like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009). 

But here is a list of the top five games I believe to be the Starry Night’s and Mona Lisa’s of the video gaming world:

Undertale

You don’t have to know about video games to have heard of this game. 

Undertale is the epitome of 2D storytelling and roleplay. Released in 2015, the game was made by Toby Fox—he isn’t a company, he’s just one guy who developed more than half the game himself. 

The game tells the story of a long war between humans and monsters, as well as the monster’s banishment to the world of the underground (the place where the story takes place). 

Frisk, a human and the lone protagonist, falls into this world and begins its journey to escape and go back home. What follows is some of the best storytelling, music and character design I’ve ever seen. As Frisk attempts their escape, the hidden lore of the monster world unravels.

There are incredible 8-bit battles between Frisk and their opponents, alternate endings depending on what the player does in the game, and a score that has a different song for every opponent in the game. 

Available on PC | Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 4 | Xbox One

Before Your Eyes

If you’ve played this game, you know why it’s on here. I’m not a huge fan of the score as it does get a bit repetitive, but the story and art style make up for that. 

Before Your Eyes is relatively new. It was released on April 8 on Microsoft Windows and developed by GoodbyeWorld Games. 

In the world of Before Your Eyes, in order to pass on once you’ve died, you must tell your life story to the gatekeeper, who then decides if you should be allowed into her city. You are sent back to your life in order to remember who you were before your soul left your body so you can “pitch your life” to the gatekeeper. 

But there’s a catch. 

Every time you blink, you move forward. The game does this by using facial recognition software that is only now starting to be implemented in video games. 

Using novel gameplay mechanics to tell such a beautiful story about life appreciation is like mastering paint strokes and creating the Sistine chapel. 

The game is incredibly emotional, and there’s a twist at the end. The life of the protagonist was cut short at the age of 12 due to cancer. If you haven’t played it, it costs $10 (only on Steam) but it’s worth every penny. 

Available only on PC

Minecraft

An open sandbox game, Minecraft is what you make of it. 

A game that consists of blocky textures and an incredibly simplistic design, Minecraft didn’t seem like a game that would succeed. Nothing stands out about it—until you actually play it. 

You escape dangerous mobs as you struggle to survive, hop into a creative world and build skyscrapers with the blocks you spawn, or log into a multiplayer server and play minigames with your friends. 

The game has seemingly transcended the world of video games, and there’s a reason for that. Minecraft isn’t art in and of itself, it’s art because it gives you the perfect tools to make it. There are vast communities and individual creations all around the world that have been made in Minecraft. 

You can do anything and enjoy every second of it, and then the music kicks in. The soundtrack has beautiful music, and it is by far the greatest soundtrack in video game history to me. I own a vinyl of the entire score, and the composer—who goes by the name C418—did a fantastic job with it. 

So did Mojang, the developers of the game. Since its release in 2011, there is not a single complaint I have with this game, except that I play it too much.

Available on PC | Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 4 | Xbox One

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Although I wasn’t alive in 1998, I can still acknowledge not just the artistic integrity of the game, but the sheer talent required to produce such a masterpiece. 

Developed by Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is considered to be a significant bookmark in gaming history and tells the story of Link, an elf sent to defeat the evil wizard Ganondorf in order to bring peace to the land of Hyrule. 

The story is the most immersive on this list, using a perfect mix of music to make it feel like you’re in Hyrule, surrounded by fairies and elves. It’s also a textbook example of the Hero’s Journey. 

The title instrument, the ocarina, is used so well throughout most of the tracks that it encapsulates the feeling of being in one of these fantasy worlds. Although graphically insignificant compared to today’s standards, the best games are the games that can make beauty out of seemingly nothing. 

For a game that’s older than most college students, Ocarina of Time stands out not just for its era, but in history. 

Available on Online Emulator | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo 3Ds remake. 

Limbo

If your art style and game mechanics spark a new wave of games, you’ve not only created a great game, but you’ve become a trailblazer. 

That’s what Limbo did. 

A puzzle-platform game developed by Playdead and launched in 2010, Limbo inspired games like Little Nightmares (2017), Journey (2012) and Inside (2016). 

In Limbo, you follow the story of a young boy who tries to navigate the world around him. You solve puzzles embedded in the environment to progress forward and it is a “trial by death” style game. 

It makes you think and uses the leverage of your character dying to make sure you solve the puzzles correctly. 

Limbo uses beautiful silhouettes to tell a story, with the entire game being in black and white. But that isn’t enough. Not only is the design unique and fresh, but the entire world is shrouded in mystery, leaving the player with questions throughout. 

The music isn’t revolutionary, but when your style and mechanics spark a wave of copycats, you know you’ve done something brilliant. 

Available on PC | Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 4 | Xbox One