OPINION: Five video games to expand your taste

May 20, 2026 - 16:14

As a kid, I spent countless hours with a controller in my hands. Games like "Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition REMIX," "Call of Duty 3," and "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon" were my early favorites. They opened the door to bigger virtual worlds and made me hungry for more. If you are looking to step outside your usual comfort zone, here are five games that can help expand your taste.

First, consider "Journey." This game strips away combat, dialogue, and complex mechanics. You simply walk, glide, and explore a vast desert toward a distant mountain. It is short, beautiful, and proves that a game can tell a powerful story without a single word.

Second, try "Disco Elysium." It is not an action game at all. You play as a detective with a broken memory, and the main gameplay is talking to people and making choices. Your skills argue with you inside your own head. It is strange, funny, and deeply human.

Third, pick up "Outer Wilds." Do not read anything about it before you play. You are an astronaut in a tiny solar system that resets every 22 minutes. The goal is to learn the truth by exploring and piecing together clues. It is pure discovery.

Fourth, play "Hades." It is a fast action game, but what makes it special is how it weaves story into every run. You die, you return home, and you talk to characters who remember you. The combat is tight, but the relationships keep you coming back.

Finally, try "Stardew Valley." It looks simple, but it is deep. You farm, fish, mine, and befriend townspeople. There is no rush, no fail state, and no big enemy. It teaches you that relaxation and routine can be just as engaging as a boss fight.

These five games show that video games can be about more than shooting or racing. They can be about feeling, thinking, exploring, and even resting. Give them a chance, and you might find a whole new side of gaming you never knew existed.