Gaming

Ghost of Tsushina

Inside and Naissancee have a lot of moments that just gave me a huge sense of awe. They have some really haunting, yet beautiful scenes.

Thumper just makes me constantly question how the hell the devs made the game look that way.

Half Life Alyx is weird because it didn't so much blow me away with the huge things as it did with the small things. There's so many small objects and details everywhere that stand up even when you're physically shoving your face into them.

DayZ. Walking in the woods and hearing a deer in the distance or going up on a cliff and watching the sunset is quite serene.

Rez

My recommendation list is going to be a wild mix of different styles. Basically aynthing in my Games Library that I find visually appealing...

• Gibbous - A Cthulu Adventure: While it isn't my favourite point&click (that price goes to the Deponia Trilogy), it's by far the most beautiful I've played up to now. The attention the devs paid to detail is astounding. The animations are perfect. In other words: A work of art.
• Euro Truck Simulator 2: I might be an exception here, but to me the main selling point of this game is the scenery, not the trucks.
• Elite: Dangerous: Most of the times this game looks utterly boring. Sometimes however, you catch an exceptional sight. Here's a screenshot of an eclipse in a binary system, as seen from an icy moon of a gas giant (behind which the primary star is hidden).
• Space Engine: Same argument as for Elite. Most of the stuff is boring. Sometimes you find an exceptional sight. Also, Space Engine isn't really a game, but rather a "beautiful picture generator", as there is no real gameplay as of yet.
• Dwarf Fortress in ASCII mode: The ASCII "graphics" are a work of art on their own. Especially the animations. And the best part: The ASCII version can be downloaded for free, while the (imho less beautiful) graphical version costs money.
• Pyre: A mix of Visual Novel and Sports Game. The backgrounds and characters are beautifully drawn.
• Beat Hazard: The colours of the effects are stunning.

The Witness

I would definitely suggest Heaven's Vault, very good, vibrant artwork in that game, and lots of variety.

Okami and Child of Light are good options.

Both Subnautica games.

Monument Valley. Visually beautiful enough to warrant repeated play-through just to admire the design, and conceptually brilliant as well.

And another vote for Gris, too.

Video game

Horizon has some beautiful moments

Back in the day, I thought Oblivion and Skyrim had some beautiful spots although it may not be as impactful now as it was upon release.

Board Game

Sagrada is a game where you are building stained glass windows and I think it's pretty.

Elden Ring looks beautiful. You just need to get used to fighting a boss 100+ times before killing him ;_;

Horizon series is good. The 2nd game, Forbidden West is so good I used to open the photo mode at random spots and take pictures because I found the scenery beautiful. I would definitely recommend it.

Ghost of Tsushima is also beautiful. However I got bored pretty quickly but others have enjoyed the game so maybe you'll like it.

Also Skyrim with mods (like ENB) can be beautiful as well :p

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, but yeah, it's basically a tech demo/walking sim

I played Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart recently because it was available free on PS+ and it is the most gorgeous game I have ever played in my life.

Endless Legend is the most beautiful 4x game I've seen so far. All of the races are great designs and feel really different in gameplay.

Sons Of The Forest is surprisingly detailed, but you don't have much time to take in the sights and the foliage when there's cannibals chasing you through the woods.

The witness can be beautiful at times, although the colours can be overwhelming at times

This might be weird, but Just Cause 3. When I was playing it a lot, I would just stop and look around at sunset and marvel at the view.

I really like the hunter call of the wild. it's not perfect visually, but there have been moments when i just stop to look around and not even care about hunting

Uncharted 4 looks amazing, I was surprised to learn it's almost 10 years old. Feels like it could be brand new.

INFRA! Just look at the screenshots on the Steam page.

Not an entire game, but the freedom ending in The Stanley Parable is truly beautiful.

• Death's Door just a stunning game in regards to art style and music/sound design. Really creative boss battles too that never felt stale. Can be challenging.
• Omno very chill game with a really cool vibe and music. No combat to speak of. Short though.
• Pseudoregalia PS1-style graphics but oddly gorgeous. It's a metroidvania of sorts with some of the best movement mechanics in recent memory. Highly recommend a look at least.
• A Short Hike really cute game that is all about exploration. As the title suggests, not a very long game. On the Switch version there was a toggle to turn off a graphics filter that is reminiscent of the 3DS. I personally liked it, but I have not checked the Steam version for the same option.
• Sea Of Stars releases on 29 Aug, but there is a demo available. Between the gorgeous 16bit inspired graphics, the lighting effects, and the incredible soundtrack this would be an instant buy for me if it weren't hitting Game Pass on day one! I may still plunk down on a physical copy. Leaning towards Switch, assuming it plays as well there as other platforms.

These are maybe not what some would consider beautiful, but I love the variation in art styles and how they can be beautiful while either being simplistic or retro-inspired. All but Sea Of Stars were very cheap during the Steam Summer sale or in a Fanatical bundle that may or may not still be available right now.

I find peace and beauty in the wilderness of DayZ