The Most Beautiful Games in the World

Sometimes I feel like the only one on earth who appreciates games that reveal new worlds for exploring, not exploiting; games that are more like reading a good science fiction or fantasy novel than trying to spill as much blood as possible. I do not dream of fighting to the death, I dream of living in a painting, or discovering new (and friendly!) life on other planets.

I still fondly remember playing Gateway in college. That would be the er... 90s. I had not read the book, so the world was completely new and mysterious to me. The graphics were mostly stationary and quarter screen... but I was captivated by the story!

No shooters here. This list is for people who appreciate the art and design of a game.

This is one of the most captivating and beautiful games I have ever seen. This is an educational game on BBC. When you solve the puzzle you are given a question, and if you get it right you move on to another beautiful scene and another puzzle.

This is a point and click puzzle game, made by Amanita Design, the same people who made Questionaut. You are trying to save your puppy from the aliens. It is pure delight. I don't want to tell you more... it would spoil it.

Create a jungle collage with this fun tool! You can make your own plants, change the colors and sizes of elements and then print your work of art. This activity from the National Gallery of Art is inspired by the work of Rousseau.

Dreamy, magical, whimsical. This is how I would describe almost every game Ferry Halim makes.

This is a collage tool and animator rolled into one! Create ocean scenes (or other kinds of scenes) with images of found objects. You can even make your ocean roll and your boat rock!

They call this a "motion painting machine." Random spinning colors and shapes churn out of your mouse pointer. You can use the pre-fab shapes or create your own extravaganza!

I don't know who made this, but it is seriously groovy. Experiment with many different optional animated 'brushes,' that react to you in unexpected ways. Awesome.

There are other 'physics' and 'crayon' games out there (for the Iphone), but as far as I know, this was the first. I was playing this several years ago, I think before the Iphone came out. This is an enchanting puzzle game. You draw shapes and they turn into objects that interact with the scene as if they really had mass. If you draw a big, top-heavy object, it will tip over. If you draw a ball, it will roll. The free demo is quite long and very fun!

So, it isn't really beautiful, but it's strangely addicting. This game is a physics simulation game and it's really fun!! You have a limited number of 'dots' (atoms?) to work with. Here's the challenge: can you combine the elements in such a way that you have a perpetual motion machine- so that you don't run out of dots?

http://www.lebonze.com/playground/

http://dan-ball.jp/en/javagame/dust/

http://www.escapemotions.com/experiments/flame/#to...

http://www.zefrank.com/scribbler/

http://thisissand.com/

http://www.artsology.com/games.php

http://www.eyezmaze.com/eyezblog_en/blog/2006/12/g...