Video games have been known to help create in-game communities as players explore vast worlds that seem to be filled with life. However, this doesn’t appear to always be the case; some titles thrive on theatmosphere of being aloneand have succeeded in creating a world that makes the players who explore them feel isolated.
These titles contain hardlyany human NPCsor perhaps no NPCs at all, while leaving the player to adventure across an open world. Though countless games have been released over the years, some games are better at making a player feel alone in the world they find themselves in.
10Horizon: Zero Dawn
Starting off strong,Horizon: Zero Dawnfeatures various tribes that Aloy gets to interact with during the story. However,as an outcast, these interactions are limited, and the game makes many feel much safer when they decide to go out into the wilderness to hunt machines rather than interact with people.
With no companions inHorizon: Zero Dawn, players are left to rely on their trusty bow and other weaponry that allows them to trap the dangerous machinery they face in combat. Though the wilderness is often crawling with machines, it is usually void of people, which has left many to feel alone while exploring inHorizon: Zero Dawn.
9Subnautica
When deciding not to follow the story ofSubnautica, many players are likely to never see a fellow human while they explore the vast ocean. The only voice the player is likely to hear for the majority of their sea life is the robotic voice of their diving suit, which likes to remind the player that they are losing oxygen the longer they stay underwater.
Theocean is an incredibly empty placewhich, even on its own, can make a person feel alone, but being on an alien planet with an ocean filled with alien fish can make for an even lonelier experience. Players are likely to stumble upon places that once were inhabited by people but are now run down and empty, leaving many to feel like they’re the only one left.
8Firewatch
Alternatively,Firewatchis another game where the only social interaction the player has is with a woman on the other end of a radio. The protagonist, Henry, never meets this person, as he has been left in charge of a watchtower to make sure the forest stays protected.
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WhileFirewatchmay not have the player exploring as much as these other titles, it is still a phenomenal game that has given many players this feeling of being alone while telling an intriguing story. Players will feel themselves begin to rely on this person on the other end of the radio as all other forms of communication appear to be lost.
7The Long Dark
Survival gamesare another genre that has successfully made players feel alone while exploring large empty worlds, andThe Long Darkis no different.The Long Darkhas an incredible story that many players may have struggled to follow due to the game’s difficulty and the challenges that come with surviving in the wilderness.
With nothing but snow surrounding the player as they search for resources and shelter,The Long Darkis a hauntingly isolating experience. Players may encounter the occasional wolf or bear, but these don’t exactly count as social interactions when they quickly attempt to kill the player. This makesThe Long Darka must-play for anyone looking for a lonely experience.
6Gris
Grisis a phenomenally emotional experience that explores themes of grief and sorrow. Players control a girl who has become lost in her own world after dealing with a horrible experience that left her feeling an immeasurable amount of sadness.
With hardly any other characters to interact with duringGris, players are likely to feel the emotional weight of this atmospheric indie adventure while they admire the beauty of every location they explore.Grisalso has no text, and therefore the story is shown through actions. This lack of dialogue is another element that enhances the feeling of loneliness.
5Journey
LikeGris,Journeyis another adventure game that lacks any dialogue, and therefore the story is shown through the actions of the protagonist and the adventure they embark upon. AlthoughJourneycan be played in co-op, playing alone is sure to make the experience feel a lot more isolating.
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As the name of the game suggests,Journeycenters around a journey that the players must make by themselves. Combining this withthe game’s incredible soundtrack, which was also nominated for a Grammy, makes for a welcoming experience of loneliness.
4Outer Wilds
Space is full of planets but empty of life.Outer Wildsis no different, as it has the player embarking on a lone journey while interacting with very few aliens, let alone humans. In this action-adventure title, players must explore a solar system that finds itself trapped in an endless time loop.
Visiting these locations at different moments in time will reveal a mystery as well as plenty of history on the solar system. It is up to the player, with no help from others, to put the pieces together and finally break the solar system out of the time loop that has since left it broken off from the rest of space.
3Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture
In Shropshirelies a dormant villagewith not a single soul within; everything stands forgotten as toys litter the playgrounds and leaflets about quarantine breeze by with the wind. As players explore the village, they will learn what happened to the community that once lived there.
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The incredibly eerie atmosphere, the lack of life in the village, and the mysterious voices that haunt the radios transformEverybody’s Gone to the Raptureinto a horrifyingly lonely experience while the players attempt to figure out what happened.
2No Man’s Sky
Another sci-fi space adventure that makes players feel lonely in such a large world isNo Man’s Sky. In this game, players are free to explore a large variety of solar systems, with various planets filled with all sorts of life, but few are inhabited by actual people.
No Man’s Skymay have now opened its borders to a greater feeling of community, but players may still choose to explore space alone. With countless planets to explore, many of them being void of humanoid life,No Man’s Skymore than succeeds at creating a lonely experience.
1Death Stranding
By far, out of all the games that make players feel alone in the world,Death Strandingis no doubt the greatest. With the one goal of delivering cargo between bunkers, players see few NPCs on their journeys and even fewer in person.
Civilization has retreated underground since the BTs and Timefall arrived, which has left characters, like Sam, to travel across the surface to deliver important cargo – including Pizzas. Though it may sound like a pretty lively task,walking from one location to the next, with nothing but the soundtrack in the background, makes for an incredibly isolating experience.
