Here katz says she likes surrealist games, and
So can we come up with any more surrealist games that are worth playing? And to avoid any arguments about the meaning of “surrealist,” let’s say games that are recommended if you loved Shade and liked Blue Chairs. I’ll start by saying maybe Lurid Dreams by Torgrim Mellum Stene (which is much more Blue Chairs than Shade, I think).
Does The Space Under the Window count?
And does The 12:54 to Asgard count as worth playing? After playing Blue Chairs, I thought it might have been an influence.
Maybe The Mind Electric? And of course Nord and Bert.
I would suggest The Act of Misdirection. Granted, it’s more fantastic than surreal, but like those others, it is very atmospheric and gets one doubting one’s senses.
It’s been a while since I’ve played it, but I think No Time To Squeal was entertainingly weird, too.
Roody, Blue Chairs betatester
For A Change. Acid Whiplash. Deadline Enchanter. Shrapnel. Ferrous Ring. The Trip.
Also, ifwiki.org/index.php/Category:Surreal may be helpful.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned So Far, the classic that was one of the first games I played with a walkthrough, and one my favorites. The Dreamhold, by the same author, also may be worth mentioning. Actually, Blue Lacuna, though less surrealist than So Far, could probably fall into this category as well. Now that I think about it, Blue Lacuna may be fairly strongly derived from So Far, using essentially the same plot device in regard to the PC, although Blue Lacuna explains the jumping between worlds more.
Then there’s On Optimism, a little-known entry to the 2005 competition that I really liked.
[Edited on May 18 to add:]
Now that I think of it, All Hope Abandon is another one of my favorites that belongs at least nominally in the surrealist category. It has a unifying theme, but not a very consistent story world.