Top video games of 2014

Video games don’t have to be mindless entertainment that bring out the worst in human nature. They can teach empathy, offer reminders of our need for salvation and fellowship, and educate us about people and places we might never come into contact with in real life. The following 10 games offer Christian gamers more than a way to blast through a few hours and an alien or two.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch (PS4, PC) puts players in control of a father and asks them to complete simple tasks like going grocery shopping, taking the kids to the aquarium, and mowing the lawn. But the tasks are made more difficult by the fact Dad is an octopus disguised as a man—this is about as hilarious as it sounds. When playing solo, players control each of Octodad’s limbs with separate buttons, turning tasks like grabbing a box of cereal off a grocery store shelf into a comedy of errors. The game also can be played with up to three friends, in which case each player controls one of Octodad’s limbs. Dadliest Catch, rated E10+ for fantasy violence, is more than a silly co-op game—it’s about a dad who desperately wants to be a good father but keeps stumbling at key junctures and finding himself at the mercy of his family. Thankfully, Octodad’s family loves him very much.

Never Alone (PS4, Xbox One, PC) is a puzzle platforming game that puts players in control of an Iñupiaq girl and her pet fox as they set out to find the source of a blizzard that threatens the livelihood of their village. (Read our recent full review.) In single-player mode, players must swap between Nuna and the fox, using their special abilities to help one another survive and progress to the heart of the storm. The game also has a co-op mode in which one player controls Nuna and the other the fox. As players progress they unlock “Cultural Insights,” mini-documentary videos that educate players on Iñupiaq culture. Never Alone, rated Teen for violence, honors a marginalized people group and reminds us it is not good to be alone.

Unlike most war games, This War of Mine (PC, Mac) puts players in control of civilians trying to survive, rather than soldiers attempting to conquer. This unique war game was inspired by One Year in Hell, an anonymous memoir written by someone who lived through a siege in Bosnia during the 1990s. By being brutally honest about the human cost of war, This War of Mine challenges players to acknowledge the world’s brokenness. By putting players in charge of helping victims of war survive, it asks us to consider what it might look like to serve and love our neighbors who are suffering.

Sportsfriends (PS3/4, PC) is one of the best examples of a recent trend in independent game design, eschewing online multiplayer and forcing players to play together in person. Sportsfriends is a compilation of simple competitive games that make sports more accessible. Games like Hokra and Bari Bari Ball get to the heart of what makes team sports like basketball and football so much fun, without needing all the equipment or having to understand a list of complicated rules. One of the most valuable aspects of sports is how they often bring people together, and Sportsfriends, rated E10+ for fantasy violence and crude humor, offers a similar experience.

80 Days (iOS, Android, Amazon) is loosely based on Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days, in which Phileas Fogg and his newly employed French Valet, Passepartout, take a bet that they cannot circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. The game plays like an interactive novel with some time and money management mechanics. But what makes it stand out is how deeply it respects its world and the people who inhabit it. As players traverse the globe, they will be introduced to new people and new cultures. They will see the best and worst these cultures have to offer as they are introduced to their innovations and forced to acknowledge their systemic problems, like racism and poverty.

Neverending Nightmares (PC, Ouya, Mac, Linux) is a 2-D survival horror game based on its lead developer’s real-life struggle with depression and bipolar disorder. The game is terrifying, disorienting, and at times, deeply discouraging. Movement in the game is difficult, even seemingly impossible due to the nightmares that constantly surround the player. All of this is intentional as it challenges players to consider whether someone can beat cruel enemies like depression on his own. At one point, players come across a Bible opened to Matthew 27:46, in which Jesus cries to God while suffering on the cross: “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” As players get a view into the anguish of alienating depression, they are reminded of the One who was alienated on their behalf. Neverending Nightmares is rated Teen for fantasy violence and use of alcohol.

Alien Isolation (PS3/4, Xbox 360/One, PC) puts players in control of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley from the Alien movie series, who finds herself stranded on a derelict space station terrorized by an alien creature. The game constantly forces players to acknowledge the alien is stronger and smarter than Ripley. Most video games tell stories of salvation through empowerment. But Alien Isolation, rated Mature for blood, strong language, and violence, asks players to acknowledge their human weaknesses and limitations. The game take a step closer to the gospel by challenging players to acknowledge the weaknesses inherent to the human condition and humbly accept their inability to save themselves.

Monument Valley (iOS, Android, Amazon) includes no scoring system, no timers, and the game never critiques players. Instead, they merely lead a princess through 10 levels of strange geometry that pay homage to M.C. Escher. Many mobile games require players to pay money or pester their friends on social media in order to advance. In contrast, Monument Valley allows players to share pictures from the game on social media, but doing so is entirely optional. I was so often impressed with the game’s visuals I found myself taking advantage of this option regularly. Monument Valley stands out from standard mobile fare like Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans by giving players a meandering puzzle game that celebrates aesthetics rather than high scores.

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (PC, PS3/4, Xbox 360/One) is set in the world of the Lord of the Rings and places players in control of Talion, a ranger whose family was murdered by servants of Sauron. Players lead Talion to infiltrate Mordor to enact vengeance upon those responsible. On the surface, it’s not all that different from other, similar open-world action games. But Shadow of Mordor, rated Mature for blood, gore, and intense violence, forces players to consider the cost of vengeance. Each time Talion slays an orc captain, it is replaced by another, more vicious captain. The more orcs Talion slays, the more hollow he becomes. Shadow of Mordor reminds us that vengeance is ultimately self destructive and true peace cannot be achieved through selfish acts of violence.

At first glance, Desert Golfing (iOS, Android, Amazon) plays like a simple touch golf game. Players pull their finger across the screen to control the power and direction of their shot and release to strike the ball toward the hole. But Desert Golfing stands out from similar games in how stunningly simple it is. There is no “retry” or “restart” option, and as far as I can tell, no ending either. There are only two numbers on screen: the number of strokes taken since beginning the game and the number of the hole currently being played. Players cannot measure themselves against the performance of other players until they have completed 1,000 holes. Instead of giving players some easy way to undo their past decisions, Desert Golfing asks players to accept them.