Why Exploration Games Are Taking Over

Over the past couple of years, a distinguished video game sub-genre has flourished within the indie scene: narrative-driven, non-combative exploration games. The 2012 commercial release of Dear Esther seemed to mark the beginning of an exploding trend; its popularity cemented by subsequent success stories Gone Home, Dream, The Stanley Parable, and plenty of others.

But what is it exactly about this genre that has become so appealing, and why is it resonating so much with players? Have we finally tired of mainstream linearity – of games which are strangled by their pre-rendered confines, force-feeding us cut cenes, shootouts, and set pieces? Or is there more to it – are there issues of voyeurism at play?

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Originally written and published by at IGN PS3. Click here to read the original story.