Gone Home
Leave it to the indies to actually move this medium forward in terms of storytelling. Basically you play as a young woman who arrives home after a year backpacking in Europe to find it empty and a cryptic note on the front door from your younger sister. From there you explore the house and learn about your family through letters and various other things scattered throughout the house.
What's great is the game really knows how to subvert your expectations. It's a dark and stormy night, you're alone in a large house with a cryptic note. You've seen this scenario played out a thousand times and the game teases you with moments of dread, but it is not a horror game. It really manages to capture the feeling of being alone in a new house.
The game also perfectly recreates the '90's setting with props ranging from cassette tapings of
X-Files strewn throughout the TV room to music magazines of famous alternative bands from that time period. There's also a bunch of cassette tapes featuring riot grrl bands like Bratmobile and Heavens to Betsy to really help sell the time period.
Honestly I'm being incredibly vague on the story because it really is something that I would rather potential players experience on their own. I can't say it's boundary breaking or Earth shattering, but considering video games' relationship with matters of sexuality, this is as mature as they come without seeming like it's talking down to you.
The only criticism I really have for the game is that it is rather short for $20, however I feel like I will learn more about the family upon further play throughs as there really is just that much to the game.
Don't wait 'till the end of the year when this crops up on "Best of 2013" lists, take the risk and reward the developer for going the extra mile to create something utterly unique.