Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons is an unusual game. There is no XP, no collectibles, no skill tree, no loot, no tutorial, no button prompts, no HUD and above all no repetition. This is one of the most minimalistic games I've ever played and it's like a breath of fresh air.
The philosophy is also present in the controls. One stick and one button per brother, that's it. As the game progresses I became more and more amazed over how these simple inputs are used to perform such a wide variety of activities. And It even goes beyond that. At the final stage more story is told by one button press than most games manage to tell with ever so long cutscenes. It's such a brilliant marriage of mechanics and storytelling that left me in awe long after the credits rolled.
This is a short game (around 3h). The puzzles are for the most part very straightforward and if you're looking for a challenge this is not a game for you. However if you want a game jam packed with creativity, heart and clever design this is the best 2013 had to offer!