As a digital media student and independent game developer, I’ve spent years exploring how games shape our emotions and choices. This piece dives into five overlooked game prototypes that pushed boundaries—blending AI, psychology, and ethics. They weren’t hits, but they asked hard questions: Who controls our attention? When does play become manipulation? Through personal reflection and research from *The Ethics of Play* and *Digital Alienation*, I uncover how these 'failures' revealed deeper truths about technology’s role in human experience. If you've ever felt drained after a game session, this is for you.