Are computer games art?  I would say so.  At least some of them.  And probably in around the same proportions as the rest of art.  If ninety percent of everything is crap, then about ten percent of computer games are not crap.  And maybe they’re art?

I started this train of thought when I happened to find several lists on the Casual Girl Gamer blog of “Games That Make You Think About Life”.  The first list had 5 games (here), followed by lists of 10 (here), 20 (here), and 10 again (here).  I played most of them and several of them really do make you think about life.  Isn’t that a big part of the point of art?  We all have our talents: I can write you a poem, but I can’t program you a computer game.  Is this the future?

They’re all free to play and mostly very simple and short.  Here’s the list of games that I would most recommend off those lists (in roughly an order that I would recommend them):

• Elude – A mesmerizing and serious message about depression
• Covetous – Revolting, disturbing, and thought-provoking
• Flight – Addictive, sweet paper plane throwing game
• I Wish I Were The Moon – Quirky poem of a puzzle game
• 3rd World Farmer – Realistic issues in subsistence farming
• Super Karoshi – Dwell on the futility and pointlessness of life
• Loved – Memorable exploration of obedience and authority
• The Majesty of Colors – Be a tentacled sea monster!
• Don’t Look Back – Themed on the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice
• Every Day the Same Dream – Rebel against the rat race
• A House In California – Starts slow, then dazzling
• One Chance – A few breathtaking moments
• Air Pressure – A puzzling metaphor or something?
• I Can Hold My Breath Forever – Sucks you in
• Passage – Ruminations on the passing of time
• Colour My World – Poetry with a tone in game form
• Alter Ego – The Sims, kinda, pre-graphics
• American Dream – Wildly, gleefully nihilistic
• The Company of Myself – All about the ambience
• The Tower of Heaven – God keeps spitefully changing the rules
• Ute – The very adult game of sex before marriage
• Gray – Persuade the majority of your point of view
• Coma – Beautiful and puzzling
• Distance – Can a game do this?

My only warnings would be that the games “Silent Conversation” and “Yet One Word” both looked excellent but hung up my system.  Play at your own risk.

Enjoy!