1979 Revolution: Black Friday

Since this adventure isn't intended to be a game "just" to be fun, it's worth stating that what it lacks in visual prowess and pacing it more than makes up for with its writing, acting, and music. These things ultimately carry you through moments where sections play weirdly or awkwardly; the best example are self-conscious additions of game-like sections, such as portions where you're prompted to take photos, but the focus erratically shifts on its own and you have to patiently wait for it to align in a mini-game to get what you think you need. This is similar to Telltale Games titles, which 1979 takes cues from; it also drops in fights and chases meant to change up the flow but instead hinders the story progression, which is the main attraction here. 1979 also ditches inventory management, leaving you free to wander, explore the scenery, talk to characters, and focus most of all on soaking it all up.

And if you've never heard of the 1979 Iranian Revolution or paid much attention to that area of the world, this is a fantastic introduction and primer on understanding its history. But what it really does well is personalize and make something that seems stodgy and inaccessible (history), showing how one person's story intersects with many others'. That said, it does feel as though the game tries to be fuzzy about which faction espouses which beliefs (possibly in an attempt to demonstrate how groups get radicalized and subvert their original causes), which may spur people to do further research and reading after playing. If they don't, they might wind up with misinformation.