I’ve recently fallen down a rabbit hole of fake video games. Not fake like fraud, but fake like art; games that don’t exist to play, but do exist to tell their stories. I’m super into it but finding more is kinda difficult, so here we are!
What fake games do you like? Why do you like them? Pictures, links, videos, whatever.
I really enjoyed Petscop (video 1/25 linked) and Valle Verde (video 1 linked, Spanish with subtitles), both series are let’s play style, exploring fake games to tell their stories. Petscop is much more narratively involved, and tells a great story (you’ll probably want an explainer video afterwards… it’s involved) while Valle Verde is more ghost-in-the-machine horror.
I found this rabbit hole through this video, from Super Eyepatch Wolf about fake video games, why they are made and how they “work” as an art form. Their content is weirdly enjoyable to me, and pleasingly entirely too long. Plus they have their own fake video game.
Edit for clarity: Fake video games is a super broad category. Pictures with gameplay hud that implies a video game, videos of gameplay or cutscenes styled after games count (even those weird live action “games” people record for TikTok count), books or stories that describe gameplay for games that don’t exist count, even soundtracks modeled after game sound tracks count. So if it’s a game or part of a game that doesn’t exist, it counts!
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Not sure if it’s really what you’re asking about but the Aqua Teen Hunger Force series has a few fake video games during the series. The Video Ouija episode has two, “Video Ouija” (a game where you summon/talk to ghosts) and “Insult Master” (a game where you insult your opponent), I’d play either of those if they existed LOL. e.g.
Frylock: Okay, Meatwad. Time to put the game up. It’s gettin’ late.
Meatwad: Come on!! Just one more dead person, please? Just one more dead guy.
Frylock: All right, one more.Meatwad: Spirits that haunt this house. Tell me…what was we talkin’ 'bout?
Game Ghost: My sister’s baby.Meatwad: Oh yeah, one them other dead boys told me about that. How she doin?
Game Ghost: She’s dead. We’re all dead.A game I’m not sure I’d play is the one featured in the Black Mirror episode Playtest. It’s basically an augmented reality game that auto-generates your personal fears that you get to experience in realtime. Maybe it’d be interesting to try once, safely, but I don’t know how often I’d want to test my sanity in that way.
Your mention reminded me of a false pretense game from Adult Swim called Glittermitten Grove. I would consider that itself a fake game in the way a storefront might be a fake cover for a drug operation, except the drug in question is Frog Fractions 2.
Yep those all count :) I’ll have to watch those episodes again! Same with the black mirror one, those are all good but man I gotta be in the right mood for ‘em… lol
Video Quijia would be cool as hell if it was multiplayer and the game was just fighting to move the planchette. 🤣
I’ve never watched Black Mirror, but as someone who occasionally has nightmares there’s no way I’d play a horror game that is powered by my own thoughts
ReBoot had a ton of these, but I’d really like to play the Mad Max-inspired racing game where cars range from the size of go-karts to armored semi trucks and 747 front ends mounted on tank treads.
Also, not a fake game, but a fake game accessory, I’d like to play with the Nintendo Power Glove from the movie The Wizard that is actually good and enjoyable to use.
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Starfighter, obviously.
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Sugar Rush and Fix it Felix Jr.
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Does a tabletop game with an AI video DM count as a video game? If so:
Global Thermonuclear War exists in the form of DEFCON.
Does a tabletop game with an AI video DM count as a video game?
you mean this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek%3A_The_Next_Generation_Interactive_VCR_Board_Game
Granted, it’s not AI, but this is basically what that scene was based on.
BRB, checking archive.org for a minute…
Edit: https://archive.org/details/STTNGBoardGame
Now I just need to replicate (pun intended) the physical game pieces…
But yeah, I think an LLM / deepfake Martok that responds to your open-ended D&D-style gameplay would be way better. I feel like we might just about have the technology to pull it off IRL!
Man, played that a bunch as a kid, then we found a copy again at a random estate sale!
Just ended up Youtubing the VHS tape, though
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Not a video game, but I’d love to play Cones of Dunshire from Parks and Rec. That and the video game that was in Big.
I always wanted to push my Farmer (Yes, my humble Farmer) directly into the central cone.
Holy crap, I’m jealous of you for being able to get into something like that. I think I actually understand what you’re talking about, but I can’t even read a book without my mind wondering off.
Oh man, I get into everything, especially if someone presents it to me with enthusiasm. I love learning about new stuff, and super bonus if it alters my perceptions or broadens my horizons :)
Heh. Enthusiasm. I remember that one. Long time ago. These days, I’m just jaded and cynical.
The Giant’s Drink from Ender’s Game always seemed really compelling to me. The emergent gameplay reacted to your state of mind and serving as some sort of arcane test of your mind.
Ooh, good answer!
Those books were so important to my teenage self. Such a shame Card himself is such a whackjob.
Ooh yeah that’s a good one, I have a big long think about that every time I read that book.
I really liked the game from the movie Her, where you’re constantly being insulted by a little alien who is your guide.
I want to play that one so bad
Oh, I don’t remember that one, I’ll have to watch it again!
I really liked that Super Eyepatch Wolf video! I should rewatch it though, it’s been awhile.
Righteous Slaughter from GTA is funny as fuck
There is a fan-made version on itch.io.
If Sugar Rush looked as good as it does in Wreck-It Ralph, I think it’d be a fantastic kart racer.
Also Roy from Rick and Morty. Holy shit, a game that could compress time would be fucking insane, even as mundane as it is.
Oh man yes actual time dilation as a core mechanic of the game sounds awesome. Disorienting as hell, but awesome.
I bet a game like that could be used for therapy, too, like in a big way… let people live out where their life is headed, or the life of someone they’d target for hate crimes or whatever. Let them struggle. Maybe they’d come out wanting to make some changes. That’d be cool af. I’d totally playtest that. Repeatedly. And end up like time-frozen Jessica after she wakes up 😜
I liked Escape: Triassic hall by Sagan Hawkes on Youtube.
Not a game, but a game console: BMO from Adventure Time.
I love BMO 🥹
To me it feels like a video game, but it tells a rather emotional story.
For me, the game Pierce’s eccentric millionaire father privately commissions in Community.
I swear I’ve played a real Journey to the Center of Hawkthorne game.
Edit: Found It
Even just looking at the sprites, that’s really impressive.
