15 Most Important Video Games Of The Decade (So Far)

4. Her Story

Another one for the indie-hating, "Is it a game?" brigade, Sam Barlow's masterful Her story casts you as a no-name detective of sorts, thumbing through an archive of interview clips, depicting a woman who's being charged with murder. The real ramifications of who this woman is and what actually went down over the years prior to the final interview (the clips are from multiple time periods) is part of the fun, but the coolest thing is the core game mechanic itself; which is to say, Barlow has found a way to make Google a video game. Dialogue from every clip has been transcribed, meaning that thanks to the 90s computer interface you're presented with, you have to use keywords that will give you better search results. Say the on-screen Hannah starts talking about 'holding a knife', perhaps 'knife' was then used in a number of other clips, uncovering more of the plot in the process. Slowly you start to jot down words and phrases, take notice of speech patterns and facial ticks - over time Her Story makes you feel like a hard-boiled detective burning the candle at both ends, chugging down caffeine in the pursuit of 'a new lead' or 'a new clue'. It may not be for everyone, but if you revive that old-school gamer itch to simply try something completely different, it's immensely rewarding all the same.