Summary

You’re probably no strangerto games that break the fourth wall, letting you know that the game is very aware that it is a game. There might be a joke, or a self-aware NPC, or some aspect of the design that brings attention to the medium. But some games take this approach a step further and talk directly toyou, the player.

Whether horror, comedy, or all things in between, developers use this tactic to try and reach beyond the screen and engage their audience directly, with the buffer of a character either nonexistent or slipping away. These are some examples of games that want to get to know the real you.

A blank corridor that ends in a red button.

Platforms

PC

A game that describes itself as being about the relationship between the player and the game, The Corridor is about as self-aware as you’re able to get. Since the experience is so short, we’ll try not to spoil anything here.

It begins with (as you might expect), a corridor that leads to a button, with a narrator speaking directly to you. The rest, depending on what you choose here, is a surprisingly intimate journey with that narrator.

A dark room full of the word No, in red.

As a walking simulator that explores the topics of depression and anxiety, it might not be too surprising that When Darkness Comes dives deep into the psyche. Through the game, there will be messages addressed directly to you, so don’t be alarmed by how direct things get.

Though this experience is not for everyone, and it functions more as an expression of catharsis than it does as a title with heavy gameplay, it’s worth checking out for anyone who might be struggling with similar problems. The game is free on both Steamand Itch.io.

Lumi stands underneath an open app, instructing the player.

If you’ve ever wanted to combine having a desktop assistant, computer applications, and combat, then you’re in luck. Outcore: Desktop Adventure is a game that combines a lot of different elements with a surprising degree of cohesion, resulting in an interesting (and free on Steam) adventure.

Lumi is a character that appears on your desktop without any memories. Your goal is to go looking through your own computer to solve puzzles that will eventually lead you to unlocking her past.

The cover of Wonder Project J2.

Nintendo 64, iOS

A much older title, the premise of this game is simple. Josette is a robot girl who you’re teaching to be more human via your interactions with her. As you answer her questions, she learns more about you. Then, to test how well you’ve taught her, the second part of the game sends her out into the world, where you continue to interact with her.

Niko stands on a blanket in a field.

There’s no character buffer between you and Josette, so she’s interacting with you as a player the same way you would for a Tomodachi pet. It takes place in the same timeline as the first game, which was more directly based on the Pinocchio myth.

Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

In OneShot, an adventure and puzzle game, you’re tasked with acting as the guide to a child who’s trying to restore the sun. The world, however, as the description cautions, knows you exist.

Without spoiling too much (it’s best to go in blind, if you’re interested), OneShot is built around the idea of creating a unique relationship between player and character by completely removing the fourth wall. A warning for those who are easily attached to video game characters, this one may make you cry.

The batter and his enemies, offical banner art for OFF.

In Off, you take control of a character known as The Batter (who, fittingly, welds a baseball bat). You’re then tasked with “purifying” four zones, done through combat. It’s a strange RPG, filled with dreamlike symbolism, puzzles, and turn-based combat with a twist.

The entire time you play, the game addresses you directly, even entreating you to side against The Batter at the end of the game. Because of this, Toby Fox has mentioned it as an inspiration for Undertale.

Monika from Doki Doki Literature Club looking at the player

This title is a slow-burn to the part where you realize it’s very aware of you, but once it ramps up it really gets to the heart of things. See, one of the girls in this dating sim, Monica, is very aware of your existence beyond the facade of your character, and she’s taking not being chosen very personally.

A good example ofhorror attempting to scare you by pointing out it sees you.Doki Doki Literature Club is a good game for people who want to get intimate with NPCs. What’s more intimate than you and Monica, trapped for all eternity (or until you log off), staring into each other’s eyes?

The stage in Pathologic.

Known for its punishingly difficult gameplay and complex story, Pathologic isa survival RPG about attempting to deal with a plague. you may play as three different characters, each of whom deconstructs the world just a little bit more.

Is Pathologic a fun game? Irrelevant question: it addresses you directly in multiple endings, to various degrees. This ability toliterallytalk to the developers of the game gives depth to the way its story reckons with morality and choice. It also marks the strange, surreal edge the game’s philosophy takes on the more time you commit.

An office desk with the overlayed text “PLEASE PRESS Q TO QUESTION NOTHING."

A gameaboutgaming, The Stanley Parable is known for completely shattering the fourth wall. Every action you take will be addressed by the narrator, who has a very personal stake in you completing his game as it was designed.

In fact, a lot of the fun of this game is attempting increasingly strange things, trying to find new dialogue from the narrator about what you’re attempting. This means that all the gameplay involved is incentivized by the digital back-and-forth you have with the game. They have two other games, The Beginner’s Guide and the Stanley Parable Two, that do the same.