games don't have to have challenge. furthermore, "emotional challenge" is bullshit. adding a jump scare to dear esther wouldn't make it any more of a game. (disclaimer: I haven't actually played any games like this) the only requirements for a video game are video and gameplay. the auditory and literary arts are almost always implemented (usually poorly) into video games to make them more complete, but they are by no means unimportant. games like dear esther provide for a more relaxed gameplay experience that is (probably) enhanced through more artistic literature, sound, and aesthetics compared to more intensive games. it's hard to define exactly what gameplay is, so even under my definition some art games may not be included. for example, I believe that the interactivity in katawa shoujo and similar VNs is not necessarily gameplay, and that it is thus not a video game. but when you have a 3D world with objectives that's explored by a character, you have a game. it may not have good gameplay, but that doesn't mean it's a bad game. the wonderful thing about video games is that almost any medium of art can be added into them -- music, film, literature, poetry, painting, theatre, video games, whatever you want. and because it is possible to add these qualities are present in the video game, they have to be considered when assessing it. maybe dear esther would have been better as a movie, I've never played it. but that doesn't mean it's any worse as a game. a video game is more than just a container for graphics and gameplay, it's a form of art. games like skyrim or portal 2 prove that. you don't have to like those games, and it's reasonable to say they have lackluster gameplay. but to say they aren't video games because there are no guns is closed-minded at best and downright ignorant at worst. in other words, a game