Do vaporwave video games exist?

a123

hi
Joined
Nov 17, 2023
Messages
18
Reaction score
117
Awards
11

Pluto

Dwarf Planet
Bronze
Joined
Jul 21, 2024
Messages
328
Reaction score
921
Awards
128
Broken Reality really surprised me because it's legitimately a great exploration/puzzle game.
Remove all the vaporwave set dressing and it's still a fun little thing to play through.
Can't say the same about Hypnospace Outlaw.
 

a123

hi
Joined
Nov 17, 2023
Messages
18
Reaction score
117
Awards
11
Broken Reality really surprised me because it's legitimately a great exploration/puzzle game.
Remove all the vaporwave set dressing and it's still a fun little thing to play through.
Can't say the same about Hypnospace Outlaw.
You don't like the gameplay of hypnospace or it's just not your game?
 

Pluto

Dwarf Planet
Bronze
Joined
Jul 21, 2024
Messages
328
Reaction score
921
Awards
128
You don't like the gameplay of hypnospace or it's just not your game?
I tried playing it twice and twice I just went "oh wow this is some boring bullshit"
 

RisingThumb

Imaginary manifestation of fun
Joined
Sep 9, 2021
Messages
1,302
Reaction score
4,292
Awards
239
Website
risingthumb.xyz
Hypnagogia is another one.
Far Cry Blooddragon too arguably.
Hotline miami and its sequels too.
Katana Zero too arguably
No Players online is arguably vaporwave too, but imo more in the lo-fi way
A lot of itch.io games lean into it a little bit with lo-fi stuff.

This issue with asking about vaporwave games, is that vaporwave is more of a music genre, and the aesthetics are typically bisexual lighting and colours and recontextualisation of very old things like statues and stuff alongside the nostalgia for the old Web 1.0. I also tend to lump it together with lo-fi aesthetics. Many games exist that take that bisexual lighting and colours because it's also just a really good way of colouring and theming night time or dark environments in a way that's distinctly night but also not impossible to see shit because night time scenes are often pitch black. Chromatic aberration is a lo-fi effect that lumped with the bisexual lighting looks good too as well.
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

a123

hi
Joined
Nov 17, 2023
Messages
18
Reaction score
117
Awards
11
Hypnagogia is another one.
Far Cry Blooddragon too arguably.
Hotline miami and its sequels too.
Katana Zero too arguably
No Players online is arguably vaporwave too, but imo more in the lo-fi way
A lot of itch.io games lean into it a little bit with lo-fi stuff.

This issue with asking about vaporwave games, is that vaporwave is more of a music genre, and the aesthetics are typically bisexual lighting and colours and recontextualisation of very old things like statues and stuff alongside the nostalgia for the old Web 1.0. I also tend to lump it together with lo-fi aesthetics. Many games exist that take that bisexual lighting and colours because it's also just a really good way of colouring and theming night time or dark environments in a way that's distinctly night but also not impossible to see shit because night time scenes are often pitch black. Chromatic aberration is a lo-fi effect that lumped with the bisexual lighting looks good too as well.
Makes sense
 

HammerKoopa

The King of the Walruses //セイウチキング
Joined
Apr 29, 2023
Messages
354
Reaction score
2,266
Awards
180
Website
walrus-island.neocities.org
There is this short horror game called OK/Normal. I havent played it yet, its gathering dust in me library, but the aesthetics seem to be quite on point with the use of statues, black and some vaporwave color tilepattern enviroments and an overall bizarre dream-like athmosphere. Ill leave you with the trailer and the description on the steam store


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk0vsWVs9QA


"OK/NORMAL is a short, experimental third-person horror experience, inspired by early 3D console games of the 90's. Journey through a dark, disjointed, dreamlike dimension with your cloud companion! Remember a good diet, take your medicine, and you should be fine!"
 
Virtual Cafe Awards
Well, in fact we can divide vaporwave games on games based on vaporwave style and games that vaporwave style was (among other stuff ofc) based on. Such games are on example Pepsiman, Ecco The Dolphin, Eastern Mind or LSD Dream Emulator.
AND WHY DISILLUSION IS NOT MENTIONED YET
 

Usvworld

Totally Normal Person
Joined
Sep 3, 2024
Messages
8
Reaction score
18
Awards
5
Website
usvstheworld.bearblog.dev
I looked into broken reality, I could have sworn there was a game that looked just like it but was entirely 2d and got popular a few years ago. You would be chased in a mall or something like that apparently it was really hard.
 
I looked into broken reality, I could have sworn there was a game that looked just like it but was entirely 2d and got popular a few years ago. You would be chased in a mall or something like that apparently it was really hard.
Mall quest?
 
Worlds.com, retro-actively
the wtc/britney/ufo parts, cyber central, road, london town square, etc.
 
Last edited:
Virtual Cafe Awards

Usvworld

Totally Normal Person
Joined
Sep 3, 2024
Messages
8
Reaction score
18
Awards
5
Website
usvstheworld.bearblog.dev
Mall quest
Nope :( missing the being chased element pretty sure it was around 2019 or 2020 when it hit its peak. known for its very mixed artstyle a pretty big eyesore but it looked pretty vaporwave to me with some of the aspects and I remember someone else saying that about the game as well. I think you could attack in the game too. Memory is finicky though. I tried all night looking for it to no avail!
 

Superjedi2454

Responsible for 1997 stormtrooper massacre
Joined
Feb 7, 2021
Messages
14
Reaction score
10
Awards
8
Well, in fact we can divide vaporwave games on games based on vaporwave style and games that vaporwave style was (among other stuff ofc) based on. Such games are on example Pepsiman, Ecco The Dolphin, Eastern Mind or LSD Dream Emulator.
AND WHY DISILLUSION IS NOT MENTIONED YET
If I'm being honest disillusion feels more like an acid trip than a video game.

On a side note would hylics and enigma machine count?
 
Virtual Cafe Awards

Usvworld

Totally Normal Person
Joined
Sep 3, 2024
Messages
8
Reaction score
18
Awards
5
Website
usvstheworld.bearblog.dev

Antice

Bronze
Joined
May 4, 2023
Messages
187
Reaction score
646
Awards
84
Website
antice.neocities.org
Virtual Cafe Awards
we had this thread before it seems:

and
(https://forum.agoraroad.com/index.php?goto/post&id=115925)
 
Last edited:
Virtual Cafe Awards

Similar threads