The Best Narrative Games at PAX East 2023

The phrase “video game writing” means something different than it used to. Whereas it once was synonymous with “poorly written,” games have seen a renaissance in the narrative qualities in recent years. With games becoming more respected an artistic medium, and with the barrier for entry continuously lowering thanks to tools like Unity, it seems fair to say that there’s never been a better time for fans of story-driven games. PAX only reinforced this belief; we were very impressed by a number of the narrative titles on display at PAX East this year. Below, you’ll find our favorite games from the show that put storytelling first.

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER

• Developer – Midboss, LLC
• Publisher – Chorus Worldwide
• Release Date – Q3 2023

Stylish, quirky, and fascinating, Read Only Memory: NEURODIVER begs exploration. The core conceit (and the central puzzles) is based on a fascinating mechanic where you enter the memories of other characters to repair them, making for great puzzles. But what really makes this game worth checking out is the characters, whose fully-voiced dialog is exceptionally endearing and quirky.

The game is also worth it for the premise, which seems light-hearted at first, but which hints at a much darker, more sinister truth that the main character is not yet aware of. This creates a sort of “meta” mystery, where you are not only solving each individual case (by invading the mental privacy of others), but also trying to unravel the larger mystery at play, relating directly to the themes of the game. All while playing as an adorable protagonist who seems to be surrounded by surprisingly attractive people. Because that’s just the kind of game this is. It juggles a lot, and it just makes it more impressive. Be on the lookout for this one.

Goodbye Volcano High

• Developer – KO_OP
• Publisher – KO_OP
• Release Date – June 15, 2023

Goodbye Volcano High has done the impossible: create a visual novel game with enough heart, strong writing, and emotional pay-off to be worth checking out (it helps that it isn’t a dating sim). In it, you play as an anthropomorphized, teenage dinosaur with grand musical ambitions”¦ In the last school year before a meteor hits and wipes out everything you know. Suffice to say, the game is more existential and thoughtful than you first might think.

And that isn’t all Goodbye Volcano High has going for it. It has a unique art style and method of presentation that immediately engages, in ways that visual novels very rarely do. It looks like a high-quality cartoon, complete with full animations and top-notch voice acting. It’s choices feel fascinating and unique, largely because of how they are presented. And it’s music, composed by Dabu with vocal performances by Brigitte Naggar, is fantastic, and has a good chance of being my soundtrack of the year. If you want a shockingly well-written, well-produced (and very queer) game, make sure to check out Goodbye Volcano High.

Slay the Princess

• Developer – Black Tabby Games
• Publisher – Black Tabby Games
• Release Date – Q2/Q3 2023

In addition to being one of, if not the best narrative game at PAX, Slay the Princess is easily a contender for one of the scariest games at PAX as well. Created by the married dev duo Abby and Tony of Black Tabby Games, Abby’s art and Tony’s tale work together to create an impossible-to-put-down experience. The excellent writing and visuals are supported by the voice talent of two well-known horror podcasters in Jonathan Sims (The Magnus Archives) and Nichole Goodnight (The Leviathan Chronicles), plus some solidly spooky sound design.

We got a chance at PAX to chat with Black Tabby, who told us that Slay the Princess’ story is ridiculously branching, with each decision you make affecting the narrative — even in the brief demo build we tried, it’s obvious that players will be able to play through the game a ton of times, and get a different experience each and every time. A wonderful blend of comedy and horror, we absolutely cannot wait for Slay the Princess to arrive later this year.

Smile For Me

• Developer – LimboLane
• Publisher – Serenity Forge
• Release Date – April 24th, 2023 (Console Rerelease)

Smile for Me is a surreal point-and-click adventure game where you need to do your best to make everyone in “The Habitat” happy, while uncovering the unsettling truth behind Dr. Habit. It is one of the most bizarre, charming, and wholesome games around, while also having a layer of eeriness to keep you on edge the whole time. You know those puppet-filled kid shows that seem more suited to giving children nightmares than lessons? Yeah, it has that vibe, but wholesome. It’s hard to explain.

And, technically, it already released, more than three years ago. But the developers, LimboLane, are releasing a “console edition” which looks to make the already incredible experience even better. It’s rare that we recommend the console version of a game, but this time, it just might be worth it. It is a game which has finally figured out how to make motion controls immersive (hint: start with a weird game), and it has expanded storylines, improved graphics, and sharpened dialog. Essentially, this console release is the “definitive edition” of an already brilliant experience. If you’ve got a PS5 or Switch, check it out.

And that’s a wrap for the best narrative games we saw at PAX East 2023. If you’re curious about any of the titles and have a question, let us know in the comments, and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can!