Consistently Inconsistent
Interested in games that embrace and commit to dissonance and disunity as a central throughline in their design and/or aesthetic. When I think of this, I typically think of either an anthology style product that deliberately chooses not to unify or connect its components of differing aesthetic/design (Wario Land 4) or a more unified product that rigorously engages with inconsistency on many levels (Harmony of Dissonance). I'm not really interested in games at are simply inconsistent in quality or games that are consistent for the most part but have maybe one part/segment that clashes. I've thrown a few examples below to maybe better explain what I'm compelled by.
2 Games
Wario Land 4 embraces inconsistency largely through its potpourri approach to level design. Each level is completely distinct from one another both in terms of aesthetic and mechanics. Each world can be done in any order and are designed to function independently of one another thusfurther reinforced its 'platformer as an anthology' design.
Its in the title. Harmony comprehensively engages with dissonance on a musical level (both in soundfont and style), in it visual language (marrying baroque architecture with the neon hues of the OG trilogy to create a surrealist off kilter atmosphere) and in the act of play itself. The dual nature of the castle and how it is initially obfuscate in tandem with its meandering and disorientating structure create an environment of hostility and uncertainty at every corner.
