The 11 best games that aren't about killing stuff

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Violence is to gaming as, "I'm not here to make friends," is to reality television. Historically, the two have been inseparable.

But there are exceptions to every rule — I'd be shocked if anyone ever said, "I'm not here to make friends," on "The Great British Bake Off," for example.

Similarly, there are plenty of examples of video games that aren't about super soldiers or assassins — You just have to be willing to look around a little. This time, we've done the looking for you.

These are the 11 best games that aren't about killing stuff.

 

"Broken Age"

Double Fine

"Broken Age" is an old-school point-and-click adventure game, kind of like "Myst" or "Monkey Island," but it has a really refreshing storybook art style and a killer voice cast: one of the main characters is played by Elijah Wood, and Jack Black makes a cameo as a hilariously overconfident tyrant.

You'll control two main characters: one is a boy who lives aboard a spaceship with his overbearing computerized parents, and the other is a girl who's trying to stop a disturbing ritual involving the sacrifices of maidens to a giant monster named Mog Chothra.

Over time, you'll start to learn more about what links these two characters, but discovering the relationship between them is something you'll have to solve yourself. You won't be let down.

Platforms: PC/Mac/Linux, PlayStation 4, Android, PlayStation Vita, iOS

"Oxenfree"

Night School

"Oxenfree" is a game unlike any other on this list: rather than rely on action and explosions to get your heart pumping, it borrows from the best of what the sci-fi horror genre has to offer.

The story centers around Alex, a young woman who travels with some friends to a sleepy tourist destination on a small island that used to house a top-secret military installation. Sounds like a recipe for a totally normal and not-at-all-creepy weekend, right?

I'm not saying for sure that there's something fishy going on at Edwards Island, but there totally is. If you're a fan of the Netflix series "Stranger Things," you need to get your hands on "Oxenfree" immediately.

Platforms: PC/Mac/Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

"Abzu"

Giant Squid Studios

In "Abzu," you'll spend your time exploring a vast and beautiful ocean paradise. It's one of the rare games that actually feels restorative to play, as if you just sat and relaxed by the beach for an hour.

Between the orchestral soundtrack, the abundance of gorgeous sea life, and its ability to tell a moving story entirely without words, "Abzu" should be on everyone's must-play list, regardless of whether you're specifically seeking out a game that's not about killing stuff. 

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC

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