Experimental Games
Art through interaction
Experimental games push boundaries of what games can be, exploring personal expression, unconventional mechanics, and artistic ambition.
Overview
Experimental games treat the medium as artistic exploration. Some abandon traditional mechanics entirely; others subvert familiar forms. They ask what games can express beyond entertainment: grief, political commentary, personal experience, perceptual experiments. The indie revolution and accessible development tools enabled creators to make games no publisher would fund.
Fast facts
- Definition: games prioritising artistic expression or unconventional design.
- Enablers: indie tools (Game Maker, Unity, Twine).
- Platforms: itch.io, game jams, art installations.
- Recognition: museum exhibitions, academic study.
- Intersection: art games, notgames, walking simulators.
Approaches
Experimental game design:
- Mechanic subversion: using familiar forms unexpectedly.
- Personal expression: autobiographical games.
- Procedural art: systems that generate meaning.
- Removal: stripping away traditional game elements.
Notable examples
Landmark experimental works:
- Passage: 5-minute meditation on life and death.
- Papers, Please: bureaucracy as moral dilemma.
- Her Story: non-linear video investigation.
- Mountain: game or screensaver?