10 Powerful Video Game Stories Told Without Words

After receiving a letter, an old man embarks on a personal journey over hills, past old towns and through great bodies of water. This simple point-and-click adventure game has a charming soundtrack and simple hand-drawn aesthetics that, when paired with its story, are a real treat.

Manipulating the scenery and navigating the surroundings with swipe of a finger, the landscape you traverse offers plenty of reminders to the man of his past life. Each time he encounters a landmark or place to rest, the player is gifted a glimpse at his time with his significant other as well as the life he once led.

The story is most impactful when a still image of quiet moments between both himself and his loved ones are shown. The simple presentation of each memory emphasises love, life and the pursuit of adventure.

Though it’s cryptic to begin with, the journey that the man undertakes is important to him. Travelling by boat, train and on foot, his adventure clearly has purpose. When his reasoning becomes apparent, what it also becomes obvious is that Old Man’s Journey is a powerful story, and without a word to be uttered.