Oh, I got a good one, and a niche one too. Gobli`s Adventure on RPG Maker for the PS1. This is an excellent and cute game about a minor enemy who wants to become a boss. So he goes on a quest to try to change his status from enemy, to boss character. Watching this character who wants to challenge his role and strive for something better I found to be very inspiring and felt like it not only spoke to me, but could with anyone that plays it. It sort of feels like a life lesson in a small game. Even now, I remember it fondly, and some day, I would like to do a comic based on this game... : )

Super Rub A Dub. It reminds you that you're just a little duck in the big pond we call life and that no matter how much your life feels like its tilting in a direction you do not like by an unknown sixaxis control... at the end of the day, you're still a duck and ducks are made to swim. So keep swimming,keep fighting all of life's tilting and you too,just like super rub a dub duck,will find your end level goal

All well-written RPGs in general, The Suikoden Series, Final fantasy 4-9, Chrono trigger, Legend of Dragoon, Legend of Legaia etc. Any game that requires you to read and understand makes you develop as a person as opposed to shooter genre which is just interested in pumping your adrenaline.

For anyone interested btw, Konami is having weekly Suikoden stream to measure and potentially save the Suikoden series by showing that people still care about it. If enough people join in and discuss it they may release the games on Steam etc.

So please join in at http://www.twitch.tv/konami 3:30 PM Pacific time every weekday and discuss the series or just discover it if you're curious.

Persona 3 taught me to burn my dread! (Specifically, to get out there and try/do things I'm not sure of, cuz it's better to try and regret than to regret never trying.) Also - social links, studying & sleep are important!

The Kingdom Hearts games are a series that come to mind.
Ever since the first Kingdom Hearts I have felt that this series is something that I not only find entertaining, it is also moving.
The characters friendships with one another and their bonds is something I find inspiring.
The sacrifices that the characters make for each other, and their character growth is excellent.

It is a game series that bring me up when I am in a dark place. It also brings me sheer happiness when I am happy as well. It is a series that resonates with me regardless of what mood I am in.
I can elaborate on this further, but I am sure you get the point.

zelmusario said: Awesome thread! Most Zelda games inspire me in some way, not necessarily to DO or BE anything, but just the creativity and adventure and heart of the story and characters always inspires me. Illusion of Gaia on SNES is the same way. The first time I played that game, I was blown away. The game deals with things like reincarnation, love, death, spirituality, and all these complex issues that I appreciated way more as an adult. The ending was pretty tearful for me and the music throughout the game is so beautiful, it always fills me with this sense of hope or beauty or something. It's good, that's for sure. lol Games like Metroid Prime, Bioshock, The Last of Us usually inspire me, creatively. I'm always in awe of how developers create these lush, beautiful worlds and combine them with amazing music to make you feel......well, inspired. lol I'm probably not expressing myself very well. Most of these games just give me the "feels" and the experiences or sensations so it's hard to put into words. All very inspiring to me, though.

I understand, the feels and sensations are some of the hardest things to explain. I have a hard time explaining games like this too. Illusion of Gaia was a deep one as well. It was so different than most RPGs at the time and I did get this weird feeling while I was playing. I wanted to see what happened to the characters. Good choice.

You don't have to be good with words to say if something has inspired you. There are just times where words can't describe it.

Cloudman said: Oh, I got a good one, and a niche one too. Gobli`s Adventure on RPG Maker for the PS1. This is an excellent and cute game about a minor enemy who wants to become a boss. So he goes on a quest to try to change his status from enemy, to boss character. Watching this character who wants to challenge his role and strive for something better I found to be very inspiring and felt like it not only spoke to me, but could with anyone that plays it. It sort of feels like a life lesson in a small game. Even now, I remember it fondly, and some day, I would like to do a comic based on this game... : )

Wow...was not expecting Gobli's Adventure. My brother played that game a while ago. We're as Niche as Niche gets around where I'm from. Anyway, that's a pretty damn good lesson to learn from such a simple game. I would love to see the comic if it ever gets done. Your art is pretty solid from what I see in signatures and avatars n' stuff. Even the smallest of things can impact you on great levels eh?

The Banner Saga.

The amazing visual direction, haunting music and sometimes moving scenes are terrific and inspired me greatly in my writing. Like hushed poetry and faint suggestions of sorrow and hopelessness in the background with anger and determination at the fore.

I loved the characters as well and the combat was refreshing with its challenge, yet simple in mechanics.
Can't wait for the second one, the atmosphere and feel is just unique and moving.

Kid Icarus Uprising inspired me to never eat floor ice cream ever again.

PwerlvlAmy said: Super Rub A Dub. It reminds you that you're just a little duck in the big pond we call life and that no matter how much your life feels like its tilting in a direction you do not like by an unknown sixaxis control... at the end of the day, you're still a duck and ducks are made to swim. So keep swimming,keep fighting all of life's tilting and you too,just like super rub a dub duck,will find your end level goal

lol now I just have to play it. Sounds interesting. I think this is a game that would really inspire me right now because there's some major tilting going on right now. But I am a duck and I was made to swim so I'll make it. Great post.