I agree with the guy that said Outer Wilds, even though I can’t finish it because of my thalassophobia.
Personally, the two games that had a really profound effect on me are Disco Elysium and Hi-Fi Rush.
Disco is an incredible political game that really is damn powerful. It’s definitely not for people who just want action.
Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm action game so I wouldn’t recommend it to people who hate rhythm games or people who hate action. But it’s so fun, so charming and really uplifting.
Came into the comments to bring this one up. Truly interesting read and kept me engaged even back in high school.