The two types of indie games
I recently finished 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, and I have to say that storywise it is a masterpiece, accompanied by wonderful 2D art. But the first quarter of the game felt like the game was not very "gamey". The battle sections get harder with time, but the rest of the game remains the same. It’s not much of a challenge, just reading through dialogue. Great dialogue, but not much of an interactive experience😊
This led me to the conclusion that there are two types of indie games: gamey and artsy.
Artsy games are not mechanic-heavy but are often beautiful. Think of games like Papetura, visual novels, and the walking-talking section of Aegis Rim.
Gamey games are focused on game mechanics rather than the art side (let's leave the discussion on whether game mechanics should be considered art for another time). The gamiest (but opposite to artsy) games are titles like "Baba is You".
Of course, this division is far from being binary.
It's a spectrum, based on how many game mechanics you added, and how great your art is.
Not to mention cases like "Thomas was alone"?
Yes, it's definitely a spectrum.
Once you know your advantages you'll know what direction to take your game.
Acknowledge that you might be unable to make your game beautiful and offer a great mechanic instead!
Or, if you're one of those people who can make a beautiful game, be aware that much can be forgiven if you fill their hearts with awe, and satisfy their appetite for beauty!
I did a dive into "adult video games" recently. They divide along similar lines: visual novels w minimal "game" elements & active games w minimal story.
This topic describes the main point of friction whenever I write a game preview: what is the intention, the soul, of the game?
Gameplay mechanics are important and you want a satisfying gameplay loop. But art often determines the vibe and attitude of a game. And the excellence of a game emerges from how those pieces work together. Some games, like a walking sim or visual novel, can focus on art and atmosphere with very basic gameplay. Other games (the original Dwarf Fortress comes to mind), rely entirely on gameplay and might even struggle to add visual flair.
What I can say is the whole style vs substance debate about games has become moot. A good game plays well and is enhanced by its visuals, no matter how minimal they are. Just look at Chained Together Visually, it should be awful because it's basically all just bought assets. Yet, it works incredibly well.
Maybe we should call it aesthetic. If your art and gameplay work well together, you've nailed the aesthetic.