Games with mysticism - an IFDB Poll

by Anya Johanna DeNiro
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What I'm looking for are games that aren't "other-world" fantasy, but rather use one of the following as part of its thematic underpinnings: Renaissance magic, Neoplatonism, hermeticism, gnosticism, alchemy, or any other kind of worldview that contains mystical symbolism. Looking beyond supernatural horror. The games don't even necessarily have to be fantasy--"realistic" games with these elements would work as well.

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Metamorphoses, by Emily Short
7 votes
(No comment) [+](No comment) --Anya Johanna DeNiro... (No comment) [+](No comment) --perching path... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Ghalev... "Metamorphoses is..." [+]"Metamorphoses is very much about renaissance thinking, alchemy and neo-Platonism -- though not entirely consistently so. See my analysis for details: http://lilith.cc/~victor/?q=content/analysis-emily-shorts-metamorphoses" ( - Full review) --Victor Gijsbers... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Taz... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Jim Kaplan... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol...

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The King of Shreds and Patches, by Jimmy Maher
4 votes
"The king will come!" [+]"The king will come!" ( - Full review) --BladeL... "Lovecraftian, but..." [+]"Lovecraftian, but John Dee is a crucial NPC in this game." () --Anya Johanna DeNiro... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --perching path... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol...

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Savoir-Faire, by Emily Short
3 votes
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Matt Wigdahl... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Taz... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Jim Kaplan...

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Slouching Towards Bedlam, by Star Foster and Daniel Ravipinto
2 votes
"spoiler" [+]"spoiler: ...kai theos en ho logos" () --tekket... (No comment) [+](No comment) --salty-horse...

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Whom The Telling Changed, by Aaron A. Reed
2 votes
"This doesn't..." [+]"This doesn't necessarily fit into any of the world views you mentioned, but it has a nice degree of "tribal/storytelling/unifying" mysticism. " () --Sorrel... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( - Full review) --Jim Kaplan...

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Hadean Lands, by Andrew Plotkin
2 votes
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --CMG... (No comment) [+](No comment) () --Sobol...

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Nevermore, by Nate Cull
1 vote
"Most of the game..." [+]"Most of the game is about setting up one very large alchemy puzzle." () --Sam Kabo Ashwell...

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The Tarot Reading, by Michael Penman
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) --Anya Johanna DeNiro...

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The Dreamhold, by Andrew Plotkin
1 vote
"Arguably..." [+]"Arguably "otherworld" fantasy, but I think it has many of the elements you mention nonetheless." --joncgoodwin...

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To Hell in a Hamper, by J. J. Guest
1 vote
"The mummy and smudge stick" [+]"The mummy and smudge stick" ( - Full review) --lagran-G-an...

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Solarium, by Anya Johanna DeNiro
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Edward Lacey...

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Firebird, by Bonnie Montgomery
1 vote
"Great aura of the Russian Wondertale" [+]"Great aura of the Russian Wondertale" --Taz...

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Tuuli, by Daurmith and Ruber Eaglenest
1 vote
(No comment) [+](No comment) () --Karl Ove Hufthammer...

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Curses, by Graham Nelson
1 vote
"You are able to do things that defy materialistic understanding" [+]"You are able to do things that defy materialistic understanding: The big reveal at the end explains why." --mjhayes...

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Uncle Zebulon's Will, by Magnus Olsson
1 vote
"You play a..." [+]"You play a present day wizard’s nephew. However, the mood of the game is tongue–in-cheek rather than supernatural awe (in spite of the demon resting on the porch)." () --Felix Larsson...

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City of Secrets, by Emily Short
1 vote
"The Gnostics and..." [+]"The Gnostics and Illuminated Ones--especially in the explorable areas--point to these these themes." --Anya Johanna DeNiro...

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Poll created on July 16, 2010