In media today there’s more than one way to tell a story. Words on a page, photos in a frame and scripts brought to life by talented actors all have the ability to tell a compelling tale.

The pokey medium of video games may well be the most fertile ground for narratives to be presented, however, as there are simply so many ways it can be done. Frequent cinematics to entice the film fan, environmental exploration for the most curious among us and decision-based adventures for those who find thrill in the agony of multiple choice.

When a game crafts a world rich with detail and a lovable cast of characters, words are often optional. Lengthy scripts can be replaced by innovative gameplay mechanics, and endless text bubbles scrapped in favour of atmospheric sound effects.

Building tension, offering emotion and adding a layer of uncertainty into otherwise stale stories without the use of words is not uncommon for these 10 games.

Note: While some games presented do have dialogue and writing in certain scenes, the power of the stories is enhanced without the use of words.

https://whatculture.com/gaming/10-powerful-video-game-stories-told-without-words

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#10: Florence
Releasing on smartphones in early 2018, Florence is as innovative as it is charming.

The story follows protagonist, Florence (weird right?), as she navigates the emotional whirlwind of falling in love. Taking the player through her childhood dreams, the blissful side of romance and an eventual break up, the story of personal growth is presented with no words or dialogue in sight.

The gameplay mechanics work wonders in telling the story. Winding a clock with the swipe of a finger to demonstrate a time jump, tapping musical notes in sequence as Florence is swept away by tunes in the distance or even having to construct a speech bubble out of jigsaw pieces to imitate the awkwardness of a first date.

The soundtrack combined with the gameplay makes Florence’s otherwise simple story carry so much more emotion. Uplifting scenes are paired with simple and tranquil piano melodies and the long, sombre sounds of a cello or double bass accompany times of turmoil.

Florence’s insistence on keeping dialogue to a bare minimum is precisely the reason why its narrative is so powerful, as the quirky gameplay choices and wonderful soundtrack pack quite the emotional punch.

#9: Fe
The 4-ish hour runtime of 2018’s Fe was clearly designed to provoke an emotional response from gamers and tell a deep, compelling story exclusively through vague story clues and artistic direction alone.

Any meaningful interaction between characters is done by song. Both parties holding a note unlocks new abilities and gameplay options as well as ways of traversing the map. With character interaction reserved for such things, Fe must look to other methods for continuing the story.

The land in which Fe takes place is under threat from a mysterious force, and you’re tasked with reclaiming the woodland once and for all. Manipulating its colour palette to suit each situation the player finds themselves in, Fe manages to find the narrative potential in something so trivial as the art design.

The game uses delicate shades of purple and lilac to convey a feeling of safety, tranquillity and ambience, but where danger looms, the game will swiftly change to harsh, startling and bright oranges.

It is the environment, not script, that holds secrets that you will decipher one-by-one to uncover the game’s deliberately cloudy narrative.

#8: Virginia

Anne Tarver’s first day as an FBI Agent is interrupted by the news of the disappearance of a young boy in a small town in the state of Virginia. Along with your partner, Maria, you set off to investigate.


Virginia’s use of jump cuts from place to place or scene to scene superbly illustrate the pressure that the pair is under, as well as the stressful responsibilities of an FBI Agent. Not a word needs to be said to instil a sense of urgency in the player, and no matter how quiet things seem, there’s no escaping the feeling that there’s no time to dawdle.


Virginia’s frequent and often sudden shift of location often brings with it a change in colour as well as scenery. Where you were once in an expansive woodland area full of rich greens and soft shadows bouncing off the floor, you’re quickly and abruptly taken to a dark, dingy dive bar where any colour is blocked by closed windows and confined corridors.


Virginia’s willingness to change location at a whim evokes a sense of uncertainty that few words could imitate.

#7: Valiant Heart

While the story presented in 2014’s Valiant Herts is connected by short segments of narration, and there are pieces of dialogue here and there, its gut-wrenching tale is present in abundance during gameplay sections of continuous and prolonged silences.


Valiant Hearts takes place in the thick of World War I. Resisting the urge to use the setting for a generic first-person shooter franchise, developer Ubisoft took a rather different approach, opting to focus on the human side of the Great War with a harrowing tale of friends, family and the futility of sending fathers, brothers and husbands to the front line.


Not unlike Sam Mendes’ excellent war film 1917, Valiant Hearts’ power comes by way of its poignance and realism. The colours are drab, the music is tragically melancholic, and the excellent sound design often incorporates eerie silences that illustrate just how unspectacular war can be.
Valiant Hearts doesn’t need scores of battlefields and a barrage of weaponry to tell a memorable war story. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Valiant Hearts leaves a lasting impression by reminding the player of the consequences of war and the devastating results of global disagreement.

#6: Shadow Of Collosus

Destroy 16 Colossi wreaking havoc on the land to reclaim a loved one. Sounds easy right?

2005’s Shadow of the Colossus is nothing of the sort. Devilishly toying with the players moral compass, the task of slaying the beasts is far more ethically complex. By turning conventional game expectations on their head, the player is constantly questioning their actions, as their deeply ingrained understanding of ‘kill the big thing’ are challenged.


The immense weight that falls upon the player when each of the colossi meets their end may very well be so impactful because there’s no dialogue. Plunging the sword into each enemy’s weak point is met, not with swirling and majestic music or witty dialogue from the game’s hero, but instead an ambient, almost peaceful melody as the massive foe hits the floor.


With each successful kill, the feeling of guilt builds. The devastating music, docile enemies and vast, uninterrupted landscape lead the player to believe they may not be doing the right thing, and so the powerful story leaves a lasting impression on those who’s kill count stands at 16.
Wordy scripts and cheesy dialogue have no place in this tale. Quite the opposite.

#5: Legend Of Zelda

Despite coining one of the most well-known lines in video game history: ‘It’s dangerous to go alone! take this.’, the Hero of Hyrule’s first outing in 1985 didn’t have much in the way of a script.


Dialog was included in the game, but the immense sense of adventure and the satisfaction of collecting each of the Triforce fragments weren’t conveyed in any writing, instead were bolstered by the iconic overworld theme and freedom of exploration that the series has since returned to in 2017’s Breath of the Wild.


It’s easy to critique the Zelda series for its recycled narrative with hindsight and scores of new titles, but it had to start somewhere.


Sequentially acquiring each fragment of the Triforce felt like progression, and allowing the player to march through an open space on their quest to defeat Ganon meant each player’s experience was different.


The freedom The Legend of Zelda gave fans meant players could create their own narrative. Players would be sure to throw on their ‘Frankie Says Relax’ shirt and vibrant leg-warmers (I don’t know how the 80’s worked) and rush to boast to their friends about their heroics in the land of Hyrule.

#4: Old Man Journey

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.

#3: Gris

While it’s not completely dissimilar to other games on this list, indie title, Gris, does well to evoke a feeling in the player despite its minimalist approach to writing and sparing use of dialogue.


Not only does it present a powerful story through art and music alone, it relies on it to tell its tale. Titular character Gris has lost her voice, and it’s her early realisation of this fact that results in the game’s first powerful moment. The scene being void of words means it must use other means to convey this crucial plot point, which Gris succeeds in doing. Moving forward with the story, it’s clear that Gris’ beautiful soundtrack is to be relied upon for any touching moments in the narrative department.


Though vague, the melancholic score and calming water-colour art style both complement the story, as the unnamed protagonist traverses the scenery and, ultimately, works to overcome the overwhelming feeling of loss.


The lack of words does, naturally, mean the game lacks clarity, but the atmosphere Gris creates is powerful enough to garner great emotion regardless of how one decides to interpret its tale.

#2: Journey

It’s hard to make sense of Journey’s story, but there is no escaping its emotional weight. Playing as a lone adventure with no backstory and no noticeable character traits, the player sets off on an adventure through vast deserts and perilous snowstorms, enduring immense struggle as the light in the distance inches closer.


It’s clear that the developer intended for the player to draw their own conclusions from its ~2-hour runtime and, if they’ve been paying attention, they’ll do just that.
There are so many individual moments in the game that say something incredibly poignant despite stubbornly maintaining its silence.


The implementation of another wanderer (and real-life player) into the mix early on to help you along on your journey evokes a feeling of harmony, and the difficult ascent up the mountain through a barrage of snow and high winds makes the persistence feel worth it when the summit lay beneath your feet.


The minimalist approach to gameplay mechanics provides focus, as there isn’t a plethora of button combinations needed to progress.


Instead, Journey’s simple design and tranquil surroundings allow for its story to be a memorable one.

#1: Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons

At its core, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is about family.
The journey the two boys must undertake is a sizeable one: a trek across a varied landscape to save their dying father. It’s as sad as it is engaging. Even its start-up screen, a boy kneeling beside a lone gravestone sitting atop a cliff, adds to its dark tone and wastes no time pulling the player into its tale.


Unlike Gris, the story can’t be enhanced by its choice of art direction, as graphically it’s nothing to write home about. Instead, the character animations, choice of environments and emotional voice acting (even if it is jibberish) do well to elevate its story.


Its gameplay design is tricky to get used to, as each brother is controlled using the thumb sticks, but its obtuse controls display the differences between each of the sons. It almost feels like a Kratos-Atreus dynamic at times, where the boys are bound by a journey they must complete, despite their obvious differences.


The brothers’ struggle doesn’t need words to be a powerful story, instead it takes contrasting characters and powerfully reiterates the sacrifices made for family.

Spec Ops: The Line

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