genkicolleen: Also, please discuss here!
Limbo for me was an excellent example of an emotional game that didn't require narrative in the form of words. On first playthrough, one doesn't have a full bearing on the possible symbolism of the settings/dangers/puzzles. However, the ending hits like a ton of bricks and subsequently playing through the game again opens up space for many possible interpretations.
Also, one you are already familiar with,
Valiant Hearts. Just the trailer alone has the power to move. And the game itself... (′︿‵。)
Klumpen0815: To the Moon was the most emotional game I ever played although it's more like a movie.
I agree, To the Moon was very emotionally evocative. I found the game as a whole very uneven, but the middle act with the two big reveals were extremely well done. I just wish the beginning and ending had been reworked a bit and the gameplay mechanics tightened, those issues hold the game back quite a bit but there are definitely flashes of brilliance in the narrative.
Psyringe: Dear Esther is very hit-and-miss. The entire gameplay is this: You walk very slowly on a completely linear path through beautiful landscapes, while a voice occasionally reads short snippets of a story in randomized order. Then the game ends. It didn't touch me at all, in fact I found it horribly boring and pretentious. [snip]
I totally agree with you here; Dear Esther was a disappointing experience for me. I don't mind pretense if it is handled in a certain way, but the game as designed has issues with pacing and cohesiveness due to a sort of forced exploration bent which messes with the ability for the narrative to achieve any sort of flow. The game has its moments in the middle and towards the end were things start clicking, but they were too few and far between for me to give the game a high recommendation.