Loop Hero is my go-to example when I'm talking about video games as holistic pieces of art. The story, mechanics, music, art direction, and atmosphere all work synchronously to support the thesis of the piece. Whereas other games can have good stories and good mechanics, like Fallout New Vegas, or good stories at odds with their mechanics, like Ni No Kuni, Loop Hero's story is its mechanics and its mechanics are its story. The gameplay loop is integral to the narrative and this makes every system fully engaging because they all have narrative heft. As an idle game it may not be as as engaging or replayable as the best of the best, but it's definitely the best idle game and one of the most artistic games I've ever played. The protagonist should have been nb though...