Video games are a beautiful medium. More than ever, games can create impactful, emotionally resonant stories, and connect to players with memorable characters. What’s more, the interactive element of gaming provides an edge that helps players feel even more immersed in the characters than any other medium.
But sometimes, the fun part of gaming is when you get to run wild. Sometimes, a game is interested in nothing other than entertaining you and having a good time, even if it weirds you out or goes way over the top in the process. Here are nine video games that show no mercy in being crazy, wild experiences.
10. Goat Simulator
How can we not make a list of crazy games without mentioning Goat Simulator? Exactly as it says on the tin, the whole appeal of this game is the ability to control a goat and perform different acts of chaos in a big suburban city. You can even make the goat utilize ragdoll physics that move and contort its body in strange ways.
There’s a surreal, goofy charm to it, and the pick-up-and-play nature means all different types of gamers can get in on the fun. As an added bonus of weirdness, it’s set to receive a sequel in the form of Goat Simulator 3…despite the fact that Goat Simulator 2 doesn’t exist. Beautiful.
9. PowerWash Simulator
Okay, so this might not be as conventionally “crazy” as some of the other games here, but think about what PowerWash Simulator’s purpose is: power washing. The entire point of the game is to clean everything you can, eventually getting to the point of cleaning ancient statues and alien ships. As if it couldn’t get any more unbelievable, there’s even a story under the surface involving volcanic eruptions, missing cats, and ancient civilization.
It shouldn’t work, but it does; there’s an incredibly relaxing, zen-like air to PowerWash Simulator that makes it extremely hard to put down. As mundane as it seems, it’s cathartic, and it makes for an charming experience that’s weird enough to stick in your mind long after you’re done playing.
8. Katamari Damacy
Right from the jump, Katamari Damacy tells you that the King of All Cosmos, a god-like ruler of the in-game world, got too drunk and destroyed almost the entire universe… must’ve been some pretty strong apple juice. Now, the Prince has to save the universe by rolling earthly materials into an adhesive ball. Because it appears the duct tape just wasn’t strong enough.
At first, the Prince rolls up simple things like paperclips and household knick-knacks. As time goes on, however, that adhesive ball can even pick up houses and cows. And that last part is important; the world can’t go on without the cows.
Katamari Damacy may as well be the dictionary definition of “weird,” but it’s the kind of game that we wouldn’t have any other way. Between its poppy, catchy soundtrack and clever puzzle-based gameplay, the game waves goodbye to tradition and delivers on all fronts. There’s plenty of playful experimentation here, and it makes for a truly unique (and charmingly weird) game that’ll be difficult to put down.
7. Mortal Kombat Series
Mortal Kombat is one of the greatest fighting game franchises out there…and it’s also one of the wildest. Between its brutal amounts of violence, limbs flying, and over-the-top action, it’s definitely a fighting game that’s not for the faint of heart.
Even with the cool concept of a fight-to-the-death tournament, Mortal Kombat’s story makes no effort to ever make sense. Characters will die in a specific entry, only to come back in the next one, and the overall canon has been messed with more often than not. It’s an excellent fighter, but one that’s definitely worth turning your brain off to.
6. Super Monkey Ball Series
Sometimes, the easiest way to discern whether a game is “crazy” is to explain the premise in a single sentence. Super Monkey Ball, a game where a monkey is stuck inside of a ball and instead of moving the monkey, you tilt the stage to make the ball roll. Good luck reaching the end of the stage.
In theory? Weird. In practice? Still weird, but cool. It almost completely lacks a story or dialogue beyond “oohs” and “ahhs,” but Super Monkey Ball provides incredible gameplay depth and challenging puzzles that keep you coming back. It’s the kind of game that’ll constantly have you saying “just one more try.”
5. Cuphead
A 2D, run-and-gun platformer with a 1920s rubber hose animation style centered around two talking cups doing a deal with the devil? With an incredibly high difficulty level to boot? What do you mean this game is for kids?
Cuphead is not afraid to throw everything and the kitchen sink at you. Between difficult boss encounters and an extremely busy visual style, it’s not a game that’s as welcoming as its nostalgic aesthetic makes you think. But if you stick with it long enough, it’s gonna feel really satisfying when you get through those bosses.
4. Kingdom Hearts Series
The mere idea of combining the detailed storytelling and characters of Final Fantasy with Disney sounds like something that could’ve only been pitched in an elevator… which is convenient because Kingdom Hearts was actually pitched in an elevator. Look where we are now.
The story of Kingdom Hearts is wildly complex, so much so that you might need a whiteboard when playing to keep track of it all. But even with its bizarre story, its loving odes to Disney and fantastic action combat make it worth sticking around for.
3. WarioWare Series
The perfect example of a series that wears its weirdness on its sleeve, WarioWare leaves no stone unturned in regards to surrealism. Playing through a series of seconds-long “microgames,” WarioWare moves at a rapid pace, forcing you to be on your toes as soon as the next microgame is ready to pop.
Microgames can task the players with tweezing armpits, clipping nails, picking noses, and even slapping Wario in his face. If that’s not enough, WarioWare Touched! allows you to scratch Mario’s back, because who wouldn’t need a back scratching after saving the princess that many times? WarioWare thrives off of its strange nature, and it wouldn’t be nearly as fun without it.
2. DOOM Reboot Series
id Software’s reboot of the DOOM franchise might not have the surrealism of some of the other games on this list, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t go wild. Every moment in DOOM and DOOM Eternal feels turned up to 11, never stopping its demon slaying to take a breath.
Sure, there is a story between these two games, but it never feels like they need to stop to tell it to you. id Software knows that DOOM is all about shooting demons, ripping their body parts off and attacking them with those severed parts. It’s a thrill-ride, and it never fails to entertain in all of its over-the-top glory.
1. Sunset Overdrive
An underrated gem from the creative minds at Insomniac Games, Sunset Overdrive lets you know from the jump that you’re in for a wild ride. It’s an open-world action-adventure game that puts you in control of an employee at an energy drink company, whose popular energy drink is turning people into mutants. Never a dull moment in a city like that.
If the concept wasn’t enough to pull you in, look no further than one of the game’s trademark weapons: the TnTeddy. It’s exactly what you think it is: a grenade launcher that shoots explosive teddy bears. It’s a game that wants to do nothing but give you a good time, and it’s worth looking into if you haven’t already.
These are just some of the wild, weird and crazy experiences offered in video games. We’re sure there are plenty of others worth talking about, so let us know some of your favorite crazy games in the comments!
