Detective games
Most games tap into our inner detective in some way. Who hasn’t pushed against the boundaries of even the most linear game to see what they might discover? Who hasn’t wandered off the obvious critical path to investigate something curious, lured by an intriguing sight or sound, or simply following a whim to uncover a new mystery? The medium is inherently suited to indulging our nosiness, and using it to deliver stories in unique ways: think of how Dark Souls parcels out its lore in fragments that only the dedicated will assemble into a cohesive whole, or the way chipping away at the walls in Hollow Knight yields optional encounters and hidden secrets that reveal more about its enigmatic cast.