Ever wondered what it would be like tojump into someone else’s skin, literally?In video games, body-swapping isn’t just a sci-fi fantasy. It’s a clever mechanic that flips gameplay, narrative, and strategy on its head.
Considering the amount of effort that likely goes into this mechanic, it’s no wonder there aren’t a lot of games that feature this particular mechanic. That said, some of the ones that do have a body-swapping mechanic tend to be really creative and unique.
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Why would I get my own hands dirty?
I am always up for games that try to disrupt or change the narrative in some unique way, andbody-swapping is one of those fun methods that can completely change how I perceive the story.
Whether you’re trading minds with enemies during combat, inhabiting different perspectives to solve puzzles, or uncovering plot twists through identity shifts, these games let you experience life through someone, or something, else’s eyes.
To find the best games with body-swapping mechanics, we kept to a tight definition of body-swapping. To qualify, the game must have the player character’s consciousness switch to another form, independent or otherwise. No Kirby or Yoshi skill stealing here.
8Space Station Silicon Valley
One Tiny Microchip
Space Station Silicon Valley
Space Station Silicon Valley lets you discoverwhat life would be like if you were a microchip. A sentient microchip, in fact.
Space Station is one of thoseold cozy gameswith a slice of weirdness that I think is missing in today’s game industry. As a microchip, your goal is to escape the space station you’re on, and the only way you can do that is by inhabiting the bodies of robotic animals around you.
Each animal has a unique ability, so you’ll basically need to go from being a tiny microchip to a dog or some other type of animal to navigate through the station and solve puzzles to win your freedom.
The game showcased one of the earlier attempts at body-swapping, with your body basically taking control of another’s and telling them what to do. While body-swapping has become a bit more refined since, this early pioneer is worth its spot on the list.
Why Be Human When You Can Be A Coffee Mug
I’m one of thosePreyfans who thinkthe game remains underrated. Besides having some unique gameplay mechanics and an incredible story, it also has some fun body-swapping mechanics.
In particular,after learning the Mimic Matter power, the player can basically swap their body from a human into different objects.For example, if the player wants to hide from an alien that’s stalking them, they can just swap into a coffee mug and wait for the alien to pass them by.
Since the whole point of Prey is to escape the space station, hopefully with some NPCs alongside you, being able to swap into various objects to hide from enemies is extremely useful. While you won’t always be able to avoid a confrontation by turning into a chair, it can offer a unique way to progress through the game.
Hack The Minds And Bodies Of Your Enemies
Entering intomore traditional forms of body-swapping,Mindjackoffers a really cool premise. Set in a world where governmental power is crumbling and society is turning toward mind-control tech, you take on the character Jim Corbijn.
When you learn of a project called “Mindjack,” you join forces with Rebecca Weiss to find out just what the government is plotting.Naturally, it’s nothing good.
During the course of the game,you’re able to hack into the minds of your enemies. When you successfully do so, you basically swap into them and control them.
You can have your new ally fight against their former allies or perform other tasks for you. Players will have to be careful, though, as you’ll be leaving yourself pretty exposed while your mind is riding shotgun in someone else’s brain.
5The Swapper
Make Clones And Swap Into Them To Solve Puzzles
The Swapper
Now, this title is a little on the nose since it’s right in the name, butThe Swapperis one of the best games with body-swapping mechanics becauseit’s all about clones.
In The Swapper, you find yourself in an abandoned space station and must escape. Body-swapping loves space stations. Early on, you discover a tool that allows you to create clones of yourself.
When you make a clone of yourself, you’re able to basicallyswap your consciousness into that clone to solve puzzles. In fact, The Swapper is one of the moreunique puzzle platformersthat I’ve ever played simply because of how you use clones to navigate a puzzle.
The game also raises issues ofidentity and the mind-body problem. After all, is it really your consciousness entering your clone, or is it just you the entire time?
If players want a more philosophical experience with their body-swapping mechanic, then The Swapper is a great choice.
A Cute Cherub With Body-Swapping Holy Powers
One of the best games with body-swapping mechanics is Messiah. You play Bob, a cherub, who finds himself in a futuristic cyberpunk world filled with aliens, cyborgs, and other evil creatures.
Now, Bob is pretty weak on his own. He has little wings that can get him up to some heights, but you’ll spend most of your time climbing instead of flying. He’s also not much of a fighter.
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The key to taking down enemies is by jumping into their bodies. The fun thing is that you can only jump into a person’s body when they don’t notice you, so you have to be pretty stealthy.
Once Bob jumps into a body, players can control them. They have access to the NPC’s weapons and can interact with objects in the world.
Messiah is a weird game, with its cherub named Bob, who may give some players the creeps. However, it has some incredible body-swapping mechanics that play an integral role in the story.
3Second Sight
Show Off Your Psychic Abilities
Second Sight
When players take on the role of John Vattic, they find themselves awakening in a medical hospital with little memory about how they got there. Through a series of flashbacks and information gathered during the game,players piece together John’s history and discover why he has unique psychic abilities.
It’s those unique psychic abilities that allow John to swap into the minds of his enemies and control them. Stealth plays a pretty important role in Second Sight, and one way to ensure his enemies aren’t standing where he needs to access is for players to force their consciousness into a target’s mind and have them move out of the way.
There are a number of other abilities that players can use, too, but being able to swap into their enemy’s minds is one of the most powerful.Much like many other body-swapping games, however, players can leave themselves vulnerable while they’re focused on controlling their target.
Players also have to be careful of how much psychic energy they use, since it can run out mid-control. Second Sight is one of the best games with body-swapping mechanics because it allows players to resolve puzzles and situations in unique ways.
2Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Swap Your Way Into Solving Your Murder
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detectiveallows you touse body-swapping to solve your own murder. There’s a catch, though. You can only body swap into corpses and objects.
You play as Sissel, a new ghost who has no idea what happened to him. To find out who killed him, you have to travel around different buildings to gather information.
Since Sissel can’t walk around in the physical world,he has to travel around by swapping into nearby objects in the ghost world. One of the coolest ways to travel is by swapping into telephone lines, which allows him to travel from one room to the next.
Now and then, Sissel will also come across a corpse, too. Players can body swap with the corpse for a chance to help them avoid their fate by going back in time four minutes.
Ghost Trick isa fun mystery and puzzle adventure gamethat uses body-swapping as its core mechanic to advance the story.
1Super Mario Odyssey
Bet You Never Thought Mario’s Hat Could Do That
Super Mario Odyssey
Perhaps the best game to get the most out of the body-swap mechanic isSuper Mario Odyssey. By using his hat, Cappy, Mario can fling it at a person and basically swap into their body.
When swapped into the target, Mario can control them to perform certain tasks, solve puzzles, or even take care of other enemies. Besides people,Mario can even body swap into objects, often using them as a weapon.
What makes Super Mario Odyssey take first place is that it doesn’t just have a body-swapping mechanic in it. The entire game has puzzles and levels built around it.
The ways in which players get to use their body-swapping abilities also offer a ton of creative gameplay. So, if players want to experience the very best in body-swapping mechanics, then they’ll want to try out Super Mario Odyssey.
