Non-combat games

[Dizzy_Desu]

Extra Credit's episode got me thinking about non-combat games, and after looking through my library, found a few that aren't combat based or combat centric. Several assorted visual novels, point and click Telltale games, indie puzzle based games like The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, and Recettear, which I know has combat elements, but they're entirely optional and the game isn't based around that aspect.

Does anyone else have any other non-combat games or ideas of such?

 

[GundamSentinel]

There are always sports games. Or crazy stuff like Katamari. But yeah, non-combat games are few and far between.

 

[Catfood220]

Flower is the ultimate non-combat game, you play as the wind making flowers bloom.

 

[Toriver]

Don't forget the Ace Attorney games - brilliant storytelling and characterization combined with intriguing puzzle-solving gameplay, in its own way.

If you're looking for more traditional puzzles with similar story and characterization, there's always Professor Layton, too. I prefer Ace Attorney, but they're both really good.

 

[MercurySteam]

Why has no one mentioned Portal yet?

 

[latenightapplepie]

I'm playing the city-building classic Pharaoh and its expansion Cleopatra at the moment, and for the most part, it isn't a combat game at all.

It's also great fun, in a mild and steady relaxing kind of way.

 

[natster43]

Harvest Moon has no combat, just farming. Also Metropolismania has only building towns and talking to people, though you are working for a person who looks like Hitler.

 

[PastTheFeeling]

The Sim? Animal Crossing?

These are actually two of my favourite games xD

 

[Cowabungaa]

There are of course the Sim series and Tycoon. Rollercoaster Tycoon, Railroad Tycoon, Transport Tycoon, Simcity, The Sims, etc.

Then there's Theme Park, Theme Hospital, all kinds of games in that genre.

 

[Heart of Darkness]

There's really quite a lot.
The Extra Credits bloke doesn't know what he's talking about.

Agreed.

And really, there are a lot. Tycoon games (like Roller Coaster and Zoo), Animal Crossing, The Sims, Ace Attorney, Hotel Dusk: Room 215, Trace Memory, Professor Layton...it's really just a matter of knowing where to look.

 

[0kami]

The first game that comes to mind and probably my favorite in this category is Portal.

Also, most games in the point and click advanture genre are non-combat games. I just reacently played Machinarium, which is an absolutely beautiful game artistically (and hard as hell without a walkthrough).

 

[Doktor Sleepless]

He didn't say there weren't quite a lot, he said that compared to combat games there's not a lot. One of the things that made Mass Effect for me was the talking. The combat was ok, but if it had just been that it would have been a bit crap. If they used the "persuasion bar" idea in 3, it'd be great.

 

[Guffe]

You know: Halo, Metroid Prime, Zelda and of course the Star War Games...
On Topic
Harvest Moon is fun, some sports/car games, chess ^^ (or is chess a violent game? I mean you kill your opponents...)

 

[imnot]

Why has no one mentioned Portal yet?

That sort of had combat in it though, the turrets and The final battle.

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

There's really quite a lot.
The Extra Credits bloke doesn't know what he's talking about.

OP snip

To be fair, Floyd did exclude Simulacra. He meant games that focus on telling a story, and creating a narrative experience, being Non-combat. So, Prof Layton, and the old Lucasarts games are acceptable, whereas FIFA, and NBA and racing games are not, because in spite of being non-violent, they do not create a narrative.

OT: Portal counts, since yes, there are turrets and you have to kill GladOS, but you don't "fight". You solve puzzles to kill her.

 

[Radeonx]

Ace Attorney, Professor Layton, Sports games, Amnesia: Dark Descent, and tons of indie games that I've played that I'm too lazy to list.