South of the Circle

This adventure is anything but a traditional video game, but it's a story that will stay with you long after you finish. More an interactive narrative than a game, your decisions in South of the Circle don't result in onscreen life or death choices. The story progresses no matter which path you choose (or if you decline to make any choice at all in interactions with other characters). But the amazing voice acting and the unique art style, with motion capture performances from trained actors, makes this utterly captivating. You'll want to know how the saga of Peter and Clara ends. And you'll be convinced the game has ended a time or two before it even comes close, due to the hopeless circumstances Peter's forced to face.

The game also explores the political environment of the early 1960s from a British perspective, and it teaches lessons about making assumptions based on stereotypes and rumors. Clara is presented as a smart, capable woman who's open to love, but also doesn't want to settle for being a 1960s housewife. Peter's reaction to that -- and loyalty to Clara -- is up to the player. The game's ending, without spoiling anything, leaves enough open questions that you'll have plenty of room for debate and discussion with others who have played it -- and believe us, you'll want to talk about it with someone. South of the Circle is a tour de force in storytelling that might not conform to standard definitions of gaming, but it's an experience you'd regret missing if you bypassed it.