Hmmm, quite hard to choose. I would say an anticapitalist game. Most of game focus on growing, gaining power and i never saw an game that has horizontal power hard coded to its bone.
For example : city skyline unlock new building based on population threesold. The city development is geared toward growing, expanding and creating new job. That's bad. We can't live in this kind of world anymore and yet we fail to imagime something different.
Can't we imagine a new economical system and set up new variable ? Or a game that go beyond the scope of heroes's story ? Why should we be special ?
Plenty of games are anti-capitalist (cookie clicker is the first one that came to mind!) but they are usually critiques of capitalism by demonstrating the issues with it, rather than demonstrating alternatives.
There’s a minecraft mod where villages will give you free resources if you’ve been helpful to them in the past, but it’s quite limited. I agree it would be interesting to play a game where alternative systems are clearly depicted. Would fit well with a sci-fi game.
You start with an area that was destroyed by humans (and capitalism), and have to basically revive the ecosystem, and then remove all your buildings and leave.
There are also games like Stranded: Alien Dawn (which is sort of a mashup of Kenshi and Rimworld) where you are not supposed to be growing, you are supposed to either reach an equilibrium and live there sustainably, or escape/ leave.
Yeah, those game are great. Stranded, will look that. There is also Eco. And i would add getting over it :)
Another economical system ? Let's say universal income, bank of time ? Libre currency ? An anarchy system with several democraty system and quadratic vote ? A shared decision along other mayors (players) ? I'm willing to explore those ideas where the idea of grow is simply erased along infinite ressource. Basnished is somewhat close to it as resources are limited.
Something that follow GIEC's recommendation where building the biggest city will result a game over and economic collapse.
Horizontality skill system. Veloren try to do that but it's not what i'm seeking. Maybe soul game are closer as you learn how to be better instead of using skill, weapon, armor ? It would erase the experience point in rpg system. There is no grow. You are just a human with the same set as everyone. No better armor, no new skills. So you can be killed by a new player.
Collaborative game instead competitive one . There are lot ideas to explore as relationship. :)