10 Best Apocalyptic Video Games That DON'T Involve Zombies
7. Lisa: The Painful
It has long been known to indie game fanatics that some of the most compelling experiences in gaming exist outside the AAA sphere, and Lisa: The Painful is no exception.
Written, designed, and composed by just one man (Austin Jorgensen), this turn-based 2D side-scroller follows aged martial arts instructor Brad Armstrong in a search for his adoptive daughter, Buddy, following an apocalyptic event known as ‘The Flash’.
Despite being intricately threaded with top-quality dark comedy, Lisa is by no means a lighthearted game. The narrative raises questions of the cycle of familial abuse, murder, and female bodily autonomy, among other things, as Buddy is seemingly the only girl left alive after The Flash wiped out all women.
The choices made by the player throughout can greatly affect the eventual outcome of the game as well as the gameplay and combat mechanics, forcing you to truly suffer the true consequences of your oft-misguided actions.
Despite being a comparatively ‘simple’ game next to other titles on this list, Lisa certainly earns its spot through not only lasting emotional impact, but for its representation of the sheer quality present outside of the biggest and brightest studios.