It’s no secret the gaming industry is laser focused on creating experiences that center violent combat. But engaging with a gameworld from behind the barrel of a gun or blade of a sword is extremely limiting. This is why my stats sort titles into combat and non-combat categories.
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I should note that of the 20 games shown in the
#Xbox
indie game montage, 6 were non-combat titles. Those were: Afterparty, The Good Life, Felix the Reaper*, Supermarket Shriek, Night Call, Totem Teller.
*Players do kill people in Felix the Reaper but it's really a puzzle game.Show this thread -
Other non-combat games of note from the rest of Microsoft’s E3 Xbox event: Management and caregiving game “Spiritfarer,” time loop thriller "12 minutes,” and adorable adventure game "Way to the Woods.” Never typed the words caregiving mechanics before. I’m super excited about it.
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The PC Gaming Show is one E3 press event that isn't run by big game publishers. The stats aren’t much better though, 72% of the 41 PC games shown center combat mechanics. The 9 non-combat titles included: El Hijo, Mosaic, Telling Lies, Per Aspera, Genesis Noir, and Planet Zoo.
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This is consistent with the stats for smaller games in general. I’ve found that about 70% of indie titles feature combat mechanics. So while this means we do see more creative innovation from smaller games, the indie space is still largely dominated by combat mechanics.
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Japanese publisher
#SquareEnix showcased 30 games during their#E32019 press event. 23 or 77% of those titles feature combat mechanics. Of the 7 non-combat games, 6 are smaller indies from Square Enix Collective. Life is Strange 2 was their only relatively major non-combat game.Show this thread -
Normally Sony holds a press event to showcase
#Playsation games and hardware but the company skipped#E32019 this year.Show this thread -
The Kinda Funny Games Showcase for
#E32019 is also worth mentioning. Kinda Funny's video highlighted 62 small indie games. Of those 39 or 63% appeared to revolve around combat mechanics, while the remaining 23 or 37% include a wide variety of interactive non-combat experiences.Show this thread -
It may seem counterintuitive that Nintendo games would overwhelmingly focus on combat but it’s a consistent trend. Although Nintendo games often fall under the category of cartoon combat, the underlying message of the game mechanics is still “Get them before they get you!"
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Final statistical breakdown for all video games featured at major
#E32019 press events. A total of 208 games were shown. Of those 167 (80%) use combat mechanics. Only 41 (20%) don't include combat; this category includes sports, racing, rhythm, puzzle, art, and narrative games.pic.twitter.com/xq7Li7GeIl
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The ratio of combat to non-combat games at
#E32019 is consistent with previous years. The pattern illustrates a lack of innovation in gameplay. Combat games E3 2015 = 78% Combat games E3 2016 = 80% Combat games E3 2017 = 82% Combat games E3 2018 = 79% Combat games E3 2019 = 80%Show this thread -
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the types of gameplay shown at
#E32019 press events. I added the subcategory of "Minimal/Mixed Combat" for games that include some combat mechanics but the game is mostly marketed as a sim or building game etc.pic.twitter.com/RAYisJYG7X
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Note: I use the classification “combat” instead of “violence” because combat describes the actions players take when engaging with a gameworld to solve conflict. This means that some games classified as "non-combat" may be violent but the player isn’t perpetrating the violence.
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The gaming industry still largely defaults to hostile worlds built around a "kill or be killed" framework. I made a video essay after E3 2017 detailing why this needs to change if we want to see deeper more emotionally resonant interactive experiences:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sq-EjKYp_Q …
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Now for the fun part! Below is my list of some of the most interesting and innovative video games from
#E32019, which don’t focus on combat mechanics.Show this thread -
1. Spiritfarer - A management and caregiving game by
@ThunderLotus about guiding deceased spirit friends across mystical seas to the afterlife:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_zC84nMWSQ …Show this thread -
2. Way to the Woods - An exploration adventure game by
@tamagotchi44 about a deer and fawn traveling through a strange beautiful abandoned world:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDjbZyvvyu0 …Show this thread -
3. El Hijo - A stealth game inspired by spaghetti westerns from
@honigstudios about a young boy trying to reunite with his mother:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smde5D2JNnc …Show this thread -
4. Telling Lies - An investigative thriller from
@mrsambarlow about searching through a stolen NSA video database to solve a mystery:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0x9OaHDjig …Show this thread -
5. Planet Zoo - A zoo management simulation game from
@frontierdev in which players must care for a plethora of realistically rendered animals:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyMAUjcRvr8 …Show this thread -
6. Superliminal - A mind-bending forced perspective puzzle game by
@pillowcastle which was part of the Kinda Funny Games E3 Showcase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30iHXafyXlw …Show this thread -
7. Per Aspera - A narrative-driven strategy game by
@TlonIndustries where players work to terraform Mars:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH7rl3oZUZs …Show this thread -
8. Untitled Goose Game - A slapstick-stealth-sandbox game by
@house_house_ where you play as a horrible goose on the loose:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0u_4rA8_9A …Show this thread -
9. GYLT - A haunting puzzle adventure game from
@TequilaWorks about a young girl searching for her lost cousin:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk3Qp_npjxE …Show this thread - Show replies
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