Elegy for a Dead World is a fascinating game, one that mixes creative writing with some fundamentals of CRPG play. It’s challenging, not in the game sense of “it’s hard to get to the ending” but in the artistic sense of making one think. By doing something completely different from what most video games do it engaged a part of my brain that I don’t expect video games to interact with.

It also made me reflect on how long it’s been since I played a board game with that kind of power. Over the past year or so I’ve played many excellent board games, but none since Concept have pushed the boundaries of my thinking about how board games work and what they can do.

Are these games out there, and I’ve just missed them? If you have suggestions leave them in the comments, or drop me a line at @lawofgamedesign. The weirder the better!