Games with mysticism - an IFDB Poll
by Anya Johanna DeNiro
RSS FeedWhat I'm looking for are games that aren't "other-world" fantasy, but rather use one of the following as part of its thematic underpinnings: Renaissance magic, Neoplatonism, hermeticism, gnosticism, alchemy, or any other kind of worldview that contains mystical symbolism. Looking beyond supernatural horror. The games don't even necessarily have to be fantasy--"realistic" games with these elements would work as well.
| Metamorphoses, by Emily Short 7 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) --Anya Johanna DeNiro... (No comment) [+](No comment) --perching path... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Ghalev... "Metamorphoses is..." [+]"Metamorphoses is very much about renaissance thinking, alchemy and neo-Platonism -- though not entirely consistently so. See my analysis for details: http://lilith.cc/~victor/?q=content/analysis-emily-shorts-metamorphoses" ( - Full review) --Victor Gijsbers... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Taz... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Jim Kaplan... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol...  Vote for this game | |
| The King of Shreds and Patches, by Jimmy Maher 4 votes "The king will come!" [+]"The king will come!" ( - Full review) --BladeL... "Lovecraftian, but..." [+]"Lovecraftian, but John Dee is a crucial NPC in this game." () --Anya Johanna DeNiro... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --perching path... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... Vote for this game | |
| Savoir-Faire, by Emily Short 3 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --Matt Wigdahl... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Taz... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Jim Kaplan... Vote for this game | |
| Slouching Towards Bedlam, by Star Foster and Daniel Ravipinto 2 votes "spoiler" [+]"spoiler: ...kai theos en ho logos" ( ) --tekket... (No comment) [+](No comment) --salty-horse... Vote for this game | |
| Whom The Telling Changed, by Aaron A. Reed 2 votes "This doesn't..." [+]"This doesn't necessarily fit into any of the world views you mentioned, but it has a nice degree of "tribal/storytelling/unifying" mysticism. " ( ) --Sorrel... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Jim Kaplan... Vote for this game | |
| Hadean Lands, by Andrew Plotkin 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --CMG... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol... Vote for this game | |
| Nevermore, by Nate Cull 1 vote "Most of the game..." [+]"Most of the game is about setting up one very large alchemy puzzle." ( ) --Sam Kabo Ashwell... Vote for this game | |
| The Tarot Reading, by Michael Penman 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --Anya Johanna DeNiro... Vote for this game | |
| The Dreamhold, by Andrew Plotkin 1 vote "Arguably..." [+]"Arguably "otherworld" fantasy, but I think it has many of the elements you mention nonetheless." --joncgoodwin... Vote for this game | |
| To Hell in a Hamper, by J. J. Guest 1 vote "The mummy and smudge stick" [+]"The mummy and smudge stick" ( - Full review) --lagran-G-an... Vote for this game | |
| Solarium, by Anya Johanna DeNiro 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --Edward Lacey... Vote for this game | |
| Firebird, by Bonnie Montgomery 1 vote "Great aura of the Russian Wondertale" [+]"Great aura of the Russian Wondertale" --Taz... Vote for this game | |
| Tuuli, by Daurmith and Ruber Eaglenest 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ) --Karl Ove Hufthammer... Vote for this game | |
| Curses, by Graham Nelson 1 vote "You are able to do things that defy materialistic understanding" [+]"You are able to do things that defy materialistic understanding: The big reveal at the end explains why." --mjhayes... Vote for this game | |
| Uncle Zebulon's Will, by Magnus Olsson 1 vote "You play a..." [+]"You play a present day wizard’s nephew. However, the mood of the game is tongue–in-cheek rather than supernatural awe (in spite of the demon resting on the porch)." ( ) --Felix Larsson... Vote for this game | |
| City of Secrets, by Emily Short 1 vote "The Gnostics and..." [+]"The Gnostics and Illuminated Ones--especially in the explorable areas--point to these these themes." --Anya Johanna DeNiro... Vote for this game | |