Flatgame

Flatgames are predominantly 2D games revolving around the narrative exploration of a field, with minimal if no interactivity whatsoever. There are zero gameplay mechanics beyond movement and animation, and are often made extremely quickly. They can often employ personal or evocative narratives by the developers themselves, using the game as a vessel towards telling a story. The visuals can be handmade, using drawings, photographs or other pieced-together media that encompasses a distinctive DIY look.

Though prototypical games had existed for some time, the genre was coined and codified by Llaura McGee in 2016 upon receiving negative criticism to her game, The Isle Is Full of Noises, at Indiecade, an independent games festival. This coinage was both a rebuttal of the idea that her entry was "not a game" as some judges put it, and an act of rebellion against the excess of modern AAA games. Due to the genre's ease of creation, as well as various tools created to make flatgames and the ease of publishing, it grew in indie communities through game-jams like Flatgame Annual and on digital storefronts like itch.io.