and it was easily the most exciting and interesting and amazing experience i have had in gaming since i played outer wilds. which, let me be clear, is i think the highest praise i could possibly give.
if anyone else can see the throughline between those two games could give me some more recommendations i would really appreciate it! i'm thinking along the lines of "games that strongly reaffirm your belief that video games are art"
I finished The Beginner's Guide literally like 20 minutes ago. It's a 90 minute "experience" more than a game, by the developer of The Stanley Parable. Seems that a lot of people get something profound or personal out of it. Can't say I did, but I'm in the minority here. Could be just what you're looking for.
In the same vein there's also Jazzpunk