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I'm exploring gaming, education and humanitarianism. I'm looking for names of games for me to play and analyse from a design perspective. I am not a gamer but could do with some help if any of you out there wouldn't mind sharing feedback on some of these games if they exist. I'm hoping to find some with deep entrenched learning rather than a shallow experience. That normally happens with problem solving and collaboration of players. Any one want to share or give me some tips what to try?
Post edited September 10, 2019 by Blondwyn
Hey there, and welcome! I would definitely recommend starting out with browsing the adventure tag here on GOG. Adventure games tend to be about the story-telling experience, the exploring of constructs and the mirror of metaphorical experiences in our world. These seem to be the closest to what you are looking for. You can start glancing at descriptions to pick the ones that are your cup of tea.

https://www.gog.com/games/adventure?sort=popularity&page=1

Do note that some of them are mixed with the more "gamey" stuff, where the game is simply set in an "adventure" setting, rather than it being an actual old-fashioned adventure game.
Ultima 4 would be a good game to check out, with its virtue system that requires you to follow the virtues in order to attain Avatarhood and complete the game.

It's also worth looking into Ultima 5 and 6, which take different approaches; Ultima 6's ending is especially interestng.

Also, try Undertale; that game is famous for allowing you to choose whether you want to kill your opponents; on the main route, there is always a way to beat a boss without killing them. (In addition, this game has a non-binary main character and a few of the other characters are queer in some way.)

[TW: depression, suicide, and probably other things] One game that I have heard about but haven't experienced that might be worth looking into is The Cat Lady, which deals with some serious issues. Just mind the trigger warning (in other words, if you are not in a healthy state of mind, it might not be a good idea to play it right now).
Deep entrenched learning and focus on problem solving and collaboration of players? I suggest you to look at EVE Online. Here's a link of collected stories from PC Gamer on how player collaboration can hugely shape the game narrative.

Or, one of the obvious answer is Minecraft.
Post edited September 10, 2019 by Catshade
Galactic civilizations 3.... It has good neutral and evil ideological themes each with their own unique technologies and advantages.
Periodically throughout the game you have to make ideological choices and you are given 3 options - good neutral and evil all with differing results.
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Blondwyn: I'm exploring gaming, education and humanitarianism.
Not sure, if I (and the others) understand you right. Do you look for games where you simply play the good guy and help other people, or do you mean games where you play as member of a humanitarian organization like the Red Cross or similar?
The suffering 1 and 2. Protagonist is a man who lived in an orphanage, was abused, then grew up to become split personality (2 different persons in one skin). Loses his loved ones, family, friends, in a tragic manner and according to your choices during the game, there are alterations in the story (concerning circumstances and persons' fault). It touches many things, from life in prison, to personification of addictions and criminals (enemies resemble all those things in a very elaborate manner, having even backstories, very well fleshed out allegories), all the way to references of slave trade in 2, junkies, murderers, killer-pimps etc.

Humanitarian focus is saving or aiding those in need, having to protect them, helping them escape even at the cost of you getting trapped right behind them and putting the pieces together, behind your seizures and recent amnesia outbreaks. This is a cult classic hit, the duo of those games.

Keep in mind though, you can be neutral and completely uncaring for everybody you meet, leaving them to their fates, or evil and murder them. In 2, this even manifests into your inner beast, a gameplay mechanism, which changes appearance and powers depending on your actions and very creative in design, at that (good one is white, with a halo made from prison's barbed wire).
Post edited September 10, 2019 by KiNgBrAdLeY7
Would Unrest fit the bill
https://www.gog.com/game/unrest
This War of Mine
Humanitarianism focus?

Blackwell Bundle and Blackwell Epiphany seems like it would fit.
Technobabylon might fit.
Why not start with the best game ever made, Deus Ex.
Post edited September 10, 2019 by AlienMind
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AlienMind: Why not start with the best game ever made, Deus Ex.
And make sure you kill the kids that beg for chocolate you found on the street. And then in Deus Ex IW you slaughter the kids' academy.

It's very humanitarian.
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AlienMind: Why not start with the best game ever made, Deus Ex.
I too am a fan of the crossbow and gep gun
Well, in Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines there's a character that purely eats humans, and I suppose as a vampire you're basically a humanitarian on a liquid diet. So it's probably not a bad place to start.
I don`t know what OP means with "humanitarian", but let me throw "Dragon Age Origins" in the ring. It has a world that`s rather grey than light or dark and you have to make moral decissions. Also, you have to work on the relationships between your char and the other party members.