Videogames for Rationalists

• AI News Team
• March 9, 2026

​Following is a list of games that, if you are reading this, you might enjoy. They’re the hits, the ones that people repeatedly bring up and discuss, but no one seems to have troubled to write down. I’m sure these are all well known, but you could be in the lucky ten thousand.FactorioA massive logistical sandbox. Scratches the same itch as coding, but with supplies and engineering instead of code.Universal PaperclipsA 6-9 hour free clicker game. At last, you can play as the paperclip maximizer from Bostrom’s classic thought experiment Don’t Create the Paperclip Maximizer.Outer WildsAn exploration and puzzle game. Once you get past the awkward spaceflight controls, the puzzles and storyline of this game work better than I’ve ever seen done elsewhere. Avoid spoilers or any info at all before playing this one.Slay the SpireA highly tuned solo card game. The combos and interactions will have you scratching you head, and the random possibilities will keep you coming back for more. Invented the genre of roguelike deckbuilder.Kerbal Space ProgramAn accurate simulation of a space program and spaceflight, while forgiving enough to make the whole thing fun. You will learn orbital mechanics.More GamesI’m getting a bit more subjective here, but there are all worth your consideration. Let’s have more in the comments!Opus Magnum / SpaceChem – coding oriented puzzle games from ZachtronicsReturn of the Obra Dinn / The Case of the Golden Idol – anthologies of whodunnit puzzles with a unique perspectiveDwarf Fortress – simulation of a colony of fantasy dwarves. Intricate, chaotic, and frequently hilariousBaba Is You – block pushing puzzles where the rules of the puzzle are also blocks to manipulatePlanescape: Torment / Disco Elysium – RPGs grounded in conversation, not combatHyperRogue / Patrick’s Parabox / Manifold Garden / Braid / A Slower Speed of Light / 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel – games that play with stranger forms of time and spaceDiscuss ​Read More