Most pretentious indie game?

[MrBehemoth]

Well then let me correct myself.

Dear Esthers ''story''

CHANGES EVERY TIEM YOU PLAY! Nooo I played the damned thing four times and it was the same thing but with the clips played at different places.

I am absolutely not going at this from a bro-gamer perspective and I absolutely do not consider myself one, the reason as to why I found dear Esther pretentious was because it made itself out to be something to challange what a game really is, and all it did was end up being an incredibly boring experience out my own perspective.

There, better?

I wasn't trying to imply that anyone here is a bro-gamer. I have far more respect for you than that, Traggey. Maybe I should have been clearer about that. I wouldn't wish that title on anyone. I just have a problem with people (other people, no-one here) mis-using or over-using the word "pretentious". No offence intended.

This is where the potential for games themselves to be pretentious arises. When a game has no real depth, whether emotional or otherwise, but still tries to dress itself up with a tone that makes itself look like it's better than it actually is then that would be being pretentious. It's something taking itself more seriously than it actually has any point in being.

I see your point, and mostly agree. My feeling is that the pretension around, for example, Dear Esther, comes from the hype, not the game itself. I don't mind a game that tries to be serious or intellectual, but I agree with you both in that I object to people making pretensions of grandeur about a game because of these reasons. For example, we probably wouldn't say the Mona Lisa is pretentious - it's just a painting - but people can talk about it in a pretentious way.

For me, the statement that Froge quoted in the OP, from the developer of Hatred, is itself very pretentious.

Anyway, I think I've derailed this thread a bit, sorry.