Lone Signal is a good example of how to get a lot done with a few words. You play as a probe, venturing through the depths of space and encountering different civilizations, with their story told through meetings or transmissions. It's simple, but each story feels deep and really gets you thinking.
The game's biggest flaw is that it's largely linear in design (the game acknowledges this at the end). Still, I think the writing is good enough to justify a look.
There is also some simple but nice art in the game, with a star map to the left which shows your progress. The course of the game is laid out on the star map and is pretty predictable, but the game does throw a few surprise encounters at you every now and then.
I would recommend taking a look.