Rank 12: Hacknet
In Hacknet, you follow the traces of a deceased hacker, whose death may have been more than just an accident.
What makes the game special? Essentially, Hacknet is a story-driven game. However, you experience the story only by becoming a hacker yourself. The game provides a continuous, immersive hacking experience without levels or obvious gameplay. Instead, you work with emails or documents to which you have gained access.
The game is based on real UNIX commands and aims to convey the feeling of real hacking. Even if you are not a computer scientist, you need not worry. The learning curve is designed to require no prior knowledge.
Rank 11: Antichamber
In Antichamber, you explore the game world and solve various puzzles. But that’s all that is normal about this game.
What makes the game special? Alexander Bruce, the developer of Antichamber, accidentally stumbled upon ways to manipulate geometry in 2006 through a programming error. He then used this discovery to create the unique puzzle game. Bruce himself describes the game world of Antichamber as “non-Euclidean geometry.” But don’t worry, you don’t have to be a mathematician to play Antichamber.
Basically, you just need to know: the rules of our reality do not apply here. The same paths lead to different places, walls disappear suddenly, and flying balls erode the ground beneath your feet. Yet you must still solve the logic-based puzzles, making the game a bizarre experience.
Rank 10: One Hour One Life
One Hour One Life is a multiplayer survival game. Together with your fellow players, you attempt to build a civilization.
What makes the game special? As the name of the game suggests, each character you play lives exactly one hour. You start as a baby – specifically, as the child of another player. Initially, you are helpless and dependent on your mother, or rather some other stranger player. What could possibly go wrong, right?
With each minute, you get older, and soon you can contribute to building a (hopefully) great civilization.
Rank 9: Your Only Move Is HUSTLE
Your Only Move Is HUSTLE is a 2D fighting game where you face off against a friend or random opponent. Perfect your techniques, execute skillful combos, and outsmart your opponent.
What makes the game special? Your Only Move Is HUSTLE is a fighting game. At the same time, however, it is also a turn-based strategy game. These two genres, which at first glance may hardly seem more different, are cleverly combined here.
The movements, attacks, and combos are initially placed alternately, frame by frame. The game is thus perfect for those who usually find fighting games a bit too fast. Once an opponent is defeated, the entire fight is then replayed in real-time.
