Games of loneliness and contemplative solitude

[prfsnl_gmr]

The Unfinished Swan (PS3). Not only are you alone, but when you start the game, there is literally nothing there.

Also, if you haven't played it, you should. It is sublime.

[Xeogred]

Metroid/Super and Flashback are some good calls.

If you've never played Another World AKA Out of this World, I urge you to do so. The game is available on a variety of platforms. (I originally played through the SNES version and loved that one.)

I played it before Flashback as a kid actually.

I have not gone back to Another World in probably over a decade though. But it's all over the place with some new digital releases. I'm definitely excited to replay it again sometime.

[Exhuminator]

Two more I remembered:

Vagrant Story
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

Both of these have large portions where you are alone exploring places of deep solitude. Often times you are the only human around in both, with only monsters or demons to interact with. And sometimes you are simply alone period, wandering abandoned ruins and forbidden places. And both games are straight up about contemplating everything going on, considering neither game is ever clear with answers.

[Xeogred]

Vagrant Story

Oh man...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9_w5TtAgvI

I never beat Vagrant Story and have always felt terrible about it because I LOVED everything about it. No idea why or where I stopped. Need to remedy this someday. It left a mark from the chunk I played though and is easily my favorite Hitoshi Sakimoto OST.

[isiolia]

Dear Esther- Though it's basically just a "walking simulator", you're tracing a path around an abandoned island picking up notes. The intended atmosphere is in line with what you're looking for.

Gone Home and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter have their moments too.

SOMA has times of it - you do have someone to talk to occasionally, but it's not a constant line of communication, which highlights the times you're all by yourself in the darkness. The times in between the solitude give you something to think about

Journey - though it's got kind of an ad-hoc multiplayer where you'll see another player at times, if they happen to be in the same area at the same time, their presence stands out due to how sparse the world is otherwise.

[Exhuminator]

I never beat Vagrant Story and have always felt terrible

You should feel terrible, Vagrant Story is the best RPG on PS1!

[TEKTORO]

I'll have to agree with a lot of these post since I've played most of them, wanna add two that first come to mind for me.

D and HOME a pixelated horror adventure.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Too many horror games...

Has anyone mentioned:

Fez
Limbo
Lost in Shadow

I think that each of these have the right atmosphere.