I’m moving my response to this here, to not clutter up a very worthwhile thread with a complete tangent.
I love games and am fully in the “Games are art” camp. I disagree that they are THE MOST effective storytelling medium. They are a unique medium that is capable of conveying things that other mediums can not. But other mediums can convey things that games can not.
I love The Expanse novel series. No way you could have that kind of universe building and broad exploration of factionalism and what makes leadership good or bad in a game. Terry Pratchett is my favorite author. You could not convey the experiences his books give me in a game. Nothing has made me think about “what makes something art”, and why I create it than the Sarantine Mosaic duology by Guy Gavriel Kay.
Nor could you give me the same experience as watching a David Lynch or Denis Villeneuve film.
Nothing has taken me on a more concentrated emotional cathartic journey than songs like, “Telegraph Road”, “Shine On You Crazy Diamon”, or “Heroes”.
But similarly I don’t think I’ve wondered at the discovery of an alien place like in ‘Subnautica’, nor the emotional experience of caring for and letting go of people like ‘Spiritfarer’, nor wrestled with philosophical question like ‘Planescape: Torment’ or ‘Disco Elysium’.
All these artistic mediums are unique and valuable for different reasons.