ITT:
Truly unique and interesting games that defy genre and/or define entirely new genres. Games you would find difficult to explain, or are so unique to control and experience that just hearing about them or seeing them isn't enough.
p.s. if you know any youtubers who can help me find unique and novel retro games that would be fabulous.
Guuguuthropus
>if you know any youtubers who can help me find unique and novel retro games that would be fabulous.
When I used to search for reviews on some obscure or semi-obscure game a guy named ThorHighHeels always popped up
Chulip
Any games by Yoshiro Kimura tend to be pretty unique.
A lot of these kinds of games released from 1979-1985 (basically any arcade game you can remember that wasn't a shmup or pac-man clone) but Katamari Damacy is I think one of the last ones, ever.
Noby noby boy, but that's not retro.
not retro but death stranding
Isn't that pretty much a 3rd person action game with a focus on exploration?
Death Stranding was just MGSV.
just defy genre:
Dungeon Keeper
Pikmin
unique but not that fun:
Wetrix
fun used to be well known:
Cannon Fodder
Lemmings
SimAnt
fun but forgotten:
Space Bastards
Clu Clu Land
not sure if counts but fun:
Typing of the Dead
Digidrive
Lemmings is pretty weird
Wetrix I still don't understand to this day
Yume Nikki.
Corny answer but LSD Dream Emulator and other walking sims on the PS1 did it before YN
>p.s. if you know any youtubers who can help me find unique and novel retro games that would be fabulous.
https://www.youtube.com/@OldAndNewVideoGames
His series about less known Dos games is pretty good
NiGHTS
Lemmings
The Sentinel
what the frick did nights do that makes gays like you love it so much but superman 64 was the worst game of all time when they're functionally identical
also fricking spyro did it better too I don't know why anyone to this day unironically thinks nights is good
Picrel
Transcore game + 'muh Sonic Team'
Not wholly original but I'd say Okami. The celestial brush allows for some really unique interactions while being perfectly aligned with the art direction.
Qix (arcade 1981)
JezzBall (windows 3.1, 1992)
There are a few clones of these but no other game really use the idea
there's literally dozens of mobile games that ape jezzball and a couple steam games (one of which is even named jezzball)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodent's_Revenge
Not exactly hard to explain but its peak nonetheless