disco elysium
an rpg where the stats are parts of your personality and all of them are working against you.
disco-elysium.shrine
most games punish failure by taking away progress. this one treats failure as content. the worst outcomes are frequently the most interesting writing in the game, which quietly makes you stop save-scumming.
the thought cabinet is the mechanic i wish more games stole. you internalise an idea over real time, it changes your stats, and you cannot easily take it back. beliefs as equipment.