THE GAMES WE PLAYED

Eight non-gun, non-violent games on PS Now certain to calm the nerves…

Flower

Format PS3, PS4 Release 2009 Pub Thatgamecompany Dev Thatgamecompany

In this little gem from Thatgamecompany you control the wind, blowing the petal of a flower through the air using the movement of the DualShock. Director Jenova Chen has said that the brief in creating the game was to make an experience that explored emotion, rather than simply being challenging. Which would sound like earnest waffle, if it weren’t really fun.

ABZÛ

Format PS4 Release 2016 Pub 505 Games Dev Giant Squid Studios

Giant Squid’s underwater exploration game thanks both Sir David Attenborough and Jacques Cousteau in its credits, and that’s entirely appropriate. The influence of both is felt keenly throughout. Abzû is a tale that also nods at Sumerian mythology and the cosmic ocean myth. The game was actually created in an attempt by director Matt Nava to replicate the wonder he felt when scuba diving! And it certainly inspired a sense of wonder in us.

Seasons After Fall

Format PS4 Release 2016 Pub Focus Home Interactive Dev Swing Swing Submarine

Come for the lush, vivid artwork; stay for the baffling puzzles. In between, enjoy a game that celebrates nature in the most uncompromising of ways. A game that is basically ‘The Animals Of Farthing Wood, but evil’ shouldn’t be as good as this. Next time you see a fox scavenging in your bins, you’ll view it differently. Promise.

Journey

Format PS3, PS4 Release 2012 Pub Thatgamecompany Dev Thatgamecompany ny

Thatgamecompany’s mpany’s 2012 adventure nture game is consistently nsistently held up as one of the greatest games of all l time. There’s really nothing g like it even now, and the sheer eer sense of wonder and expanse from navigating ting its environments desert ert dunes is an experience ce unique in gaming. Austin stin Wintory’s score – he also composed the music for Flow, more on that later – is a thing of transcendent t wonder.

FLOW

Format PS3, PS4, PS Vita Release 2006 Pub Sony Dev Thatgamecompany

The spiritual successor to Flower has been described as more of an interactive art piece than a game. That’s a debate that could run, but the experience – in which you control a micro-organism that grows by consuming others like it – actually has its roots in real-world science. The game’s design was based on Jenova Chen’s research into dynamic difficulty adjustment at the University Of Southern California’s Interactive Media Division, and on psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s theoretical concept of mental immersion… or flow.

Binaries

Format PS4 Release 2014 Dev Ant Workshop Ltd Pub Ant Workshop Ltd

Go and write a feature about not playing games with guns in,” said Ian. “You’ll probably find it really relaxing…” Well, Deano has obviously never played this very innovative and horribly fiendish platformercum-puzzler. It’s simple, right? Guide two balls through ever-more complex mazes that test your dexterity and patience. No. No it’s not.

The Unfinished Swan

Format PS3, PS4, PS Vita Release 2012 Pub Sony Dev Giant Sparrow, Santa Monica Studio

Giant Sparrow’s more recent release – 2017’s What Remains Of Edith Finch – is the better game. Blimey, it’s one of the most intriguing games ever made. But dare we say The Unfinished Swan is the more innovative? There’s nothing like it. It’s proof that games can pretty much do anything. And if that doesn’t convince you, Monty Python and weird movie making legend Terry Gilliam is in it!

Doki-Doki Universe

Format PS3, PS4, PS Vita Release 2013 Dev HumaNature Studios Pub HumaNature Studios

HumaNature’s game is basically one big personality test – you’re a robot called QT3 who must prove to a red balloon that you possess humanity. And yet, unlike the nonsense that clutters up your aunt’s Facebook feed, Doki-Doki Universe is an experience where you will actually learn something useful about yourself. If religious nutters get hold of the game and use it for recruitment, we’re all screwed.