Most online multiplayer games feature voice chat capabilities that enable you to talk with your friends in an effort to complete games as team. Some games, however, force you to communicate without talking, and the gaming experience is better for it.
Regardless of which gaming system you’re playing on, headsets can be pretty expensive. Furthermore, they can be frustratingly fragile. No need to worry, though, as we’ve come up with a list of the best games that feature truly unique forms of non-verbal communication.
“Journey”
“Journey” is an indie game released for Sony’s PlayStation 3 in 2012 and, quite frankly, is one of the greatest games ever made. Its beauty lies in its simplicity. Gamers must take a mysterious robed figure across a vast desert towards a mountain off in the distance, with virtually no context provided.
Along your journey, you encounter other players you can work together with; however, your only forms of communication are musical chimes that turn pieces of scarf a vibrant red, allowing you to pass through different portions of the game. The game takes barely two hours to complete, but offers one of the most rewarding experiences in recent gaming memory.
“The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes”
Released in 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS, “The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes” is one of the most unique games in the “Zelda” franchise. The game can be completed in single-player mode, but is best experienced cooperatively.
When playing online with friends or strangers, gamers only can communicate by using a small amount of Placards, which basically are emoticons that elicit various emotions and instructions. As with any “Zelda” game, “Tri Force Heroes” features complex puzzles, which are made even more difficult given the scarce amount of available communication.
Of course, the Placards are rendered irrelevant if you’re playing in the same room as other players, but the payoff of completing the game is far less satisfying.
“Minecraft”
“Minecraft” is a remarkably simple game that offers unparalleled depth. Whether you play alone or with friends online, the idea remains the same: use blocks to build any object you can dream of. While the game does not feature voice chat, players are allowed to communicate via text, which only heightens the need for clear, effective teamwork.
The structures you build in “Minecraft” can be as small or as large as you can imagine, and are most easily built with the help of great teammates.
“Super Mario Maker”
Available on both the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS, “Super Mario Maker” is the ultimate celebration of Mario. Thanks to an ever-faithful community, the game offers a seemingly endless amount of customized “Mario” levels that incorporate graphics and elements that span the franchise’s entire history.
When looking for another level to download (for free) and play, the use of community comments is extremely helpful. Moreover, when playing levels, other players who have completed them sometimes leave comments or helpful clues embedded on the screen that make the playing experience truly unique. Sometimes these drawings and clues are hilarious, and sometimes they border on trolling.
At the end of the day, however, playing “Super Mario Maker” online feels like you’re playing “Mario” with everyone who’s ever played the game.
Thumbnail photo via YouTube/IAmSp00n
