In the era of streaming and content creation, meme games have found a new foothold. Here’s a list of some of the best ones available on Steam!
In the era of streaming and content creation, meme games have found a new foothold. Here’s a list of some of the best ones available on Steam!
With the continual growth of social media and internet virality, the concept and practical application of a meme has evolved over the years. It was originally coined back in 1979 by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins with an implication similar to that of a gene in the sense that it can mutate from person to person. Since then, the definition of what a meme truly is has become so convoluted it is almost impossible to pin down. For the purpose of this article, we’ll go with any sort of creative expression with humorous intent, regardless of the medium. The most recent medium memes have crept into is the wonderful world of gaming.
Meme games consist of any sort of game that is primarily humorous and usually revolving around a set concept. Sometimes the developers purposefully create meme games simply as a joke or as a valid marketing strategy, cashing in on the unique sense of humor seen among zoomers and millennials alike. Other times, the developers were trying to create a serious game but either society or a random event branded them as a meme game (looking at you Among Us/Flappy Bird/Pokemon Go to the polls). All of the games featured on this list, however, were intended to be a meme game by the developers who created it. Here is the complete list of meme games:
Have you ever dreamed of being a goose and terrorizing your local village? Well, that’s kind of weird, but you are in luck! Untitled Goose Game is a surprisingly polished meme game in which you play as a menacing goose that loves to harass people. From stealing hats to pipes, your reign of terror will know no bounds. The controls are as smooth as butter and the objectives are simple to follow. With the most recent update, you can now even terrorize the locals with another friendly goose on co-op mode. Now it is double the fun when you are ruining a picnic in the local park.
Perhaps the best part of the game, however, is the beautiful honk button that will undoubtedly be pressed hundreds of times throughout the player’s first playthrough. There is just something so satisfying about rudely honking as a goose but not having to face any social repercussions because, well, you’re a goose!
“Before this game I was a people person, now I'm a geese goose” - Michi on Steam
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator (TABS) is exactly what it sounds like, a *totally accurate* battle simulation creator. The possibilities within this game are quite literally endless. With custom unit creations, your imagination is the only limiting factor to the amount of fun to be had in the game.
For the less creative folk, there is also a huge variety of campaigns to play. From spooky to the wild west, the variety of themed campaigns provide unique challenges and require notable strategy in terms of knowledge of certain unit’s strengths and weaknesses. Not satisfied with any of the pre-manufactured campaigns? No worries, there is even a custom campaign creator!
While certainly considered a meme game based on the physics engine wacky mechanics, TABS is no laughing matter in terms of player base and community reception. In fact, it is currently ranked 21st on the Steam game reviews list with a 98% positive review ratio spanning nearly 70,000 votes, an impressive feat for a meme game!
“My son actually wants to stay at my house now! Thanks, TABS!” - Mungoid on Steam
WHAT THE GOLF? is a crazy masterpiece of a game that, ironically, has very little to do with golf. At its heart, it's more of a puzzle/platform/skill game than anything remotely close to golf. In fact, the only similarity is that the majority of levels have a hole with a flag in it as a final destination. The object you use to get there, however, is almost never a ball. From flinging cars to literal people towards the hole, there is a huge amount of creativity expressed within the game that will surprise even the dankest of memers.
Much like TABS, WHAT THE GOLF? also has a custom level builder to express all of your creative level designs. As you can imagine by the assumed player base of a game like this, there is quite the variety in levels ranging from super difficult to super memey.
Perhaps most surprisingly, there are even boss levels within the game. I mean, what other golfing game has a final boss?
“Never before have I played a game of golf and forgotten I was playing golf, until now.” - Fedora Stoat on Steam
Goat Simulator infuses chaos with the latest goat simulation technology. The game is quite self-explanatory, you will literally play as a goat and just do goat things. The main kick of the game comes from the vast number of bugs that the developers lovingly decided to keep in the game to add to its hilarity. From classic ragdoll mechanics to a goat neck that can bug out and stretch for miles, Goat Simulator’s unique physics engine will make your stomach hurt from laughing.
Goat Simulator has a point system somewhat reminiscent of Skate 2’s Hall of Meat in terms that the more damage that is done, the more points you will get. This gives you motivation to not only wreck the world, but wreck it the only way you’ll know how to: goat style. Goat Simulator gives you the creative outlet to unleash all of your inner goat-rage. It's like Untitled Goose Game, except with a goat and much more destruction!
“This game has fully trained and prepared me and I feel that I am now ready for my new life of pursuing a career as a full time goat.” - DIABLO on Steam
The most unique inclusion on this list BY FAR, Genital Jousting is a terrific culmination of memery and a serious message. Dealing with genuine real-world problems like toxic masculinity, emotional projections, and depression, the campaign to the game is an eye-opening story of a social outcast trying to find a date for his high school reunion. Along the way, he learns a variety of life lessons and goes through a dramatic character arc that gets surprisingly emotional for a meme game. But what makes it a meme game?
Well, the main character is a dick. No, literally. Every character within the game is a literal penis, tricked out with typical human clothing to distinguish between them. This obviously results in numerous sexual innuendos, hilarious visuals, and a ton of on-brand jokes. It adds the necessary comedic relief to the somber story of our absolute dick of a protagonist. A recommendation from someone who has dealt with the repercussions themselves, don’t play this game around or even within the same house as someone who wouldn’t find it funny. It’s just awkward.
“Pretty solid entry in the metal gear franchise” - Diggy Andy Dee Smooth on Steam
Likely the second memiest of all the titles featured on this list, ZooKeeper Simulator is a ridiculous competitive game that pits a single zookeeper versus up to five other players playing as a variety of animals. The zookeeper is tasked with a variety of map-dependent missions that they must complete before the animals get to them. The animals have to use any of the many tools they have at their disposal to stop the zookeeper’s progress and ultimately kill them.
Each animal has a unique damaging ability such as the monkey being able to throw a grenade or the giraffe propelling itself from the neck ragdoll-style. You can even ride a bunch of different vehicles no matter what animal you are. I mean, just look at the picture above. Have you ever seen an elephant ride a camel?
Ultimately, the game is all about some light-hearted fun with a bit of competitiveness mixed in. It is great for streamers to play as their chat can get involved by joining the game as an animal and being able to impede the streamer’s progress.
“I love throwing frag grenades at small animals” - Criminal Baby Rage on Steam
If ZooKeeper Simulator was not memey enough for you, There’s Poop In My Soup is the epitome of meme games. You are some sort of human looking creature perched up on a balcony tasked with, you guessed it, pooping in people’s soups. However, not all poop goes towards soups. Some poop gets directed at people’s faces, others at their pets. There is really no limit to the poopibilities (I’m sorry this article has me using my last brain cells) in this game. There is not much more to say about There’s Poop In My Soup as the concept itself is pretty simple.
If this game does not do it for you, you could also check out Muddy Heights 2 which has many of the same concepts as There’s Poop In My Soup. Some reviewers argue that Muddy Heights 2 is the scatalogically superior game, while others are diehard There’s Poop In My Soup fans. In my opinion, they’re both crap.
“This game is poop” - OriginalAdam on Steam
As you can see, the vastness of Steam’s collection also includes a sizable number of meme games perfect for those looking for a laugh. There are geese, goats, poop, and genitals all ripe for the playing. That’s a sentence I never expected to have to write in my career, but if it’s for the meme it's worth it. Give some of these games a try to brighten your own day or ruin someone else’s day as a goose!
Image courtesy of nerdreactor.com
