People talk about games as art pretty often, and I've realized there are at least two types of that--I'm sure there are more, but there are at least:
Games as visual art, such as Ōkami or Breath of the Wild
Games as literary art, such as Suikoden 2 or Final Fantasy X
Possibly also a third type, of games where the artistry is in how smooth and natural the gameplay feels (Super Mario Odyssey may be a good recent example of this)
The third type also includes the original F-Zero - played on a Super Nintendo, the gameplay is /silky/ smooth and very much sells the idea of high-powered racing hovercars moving at tremendous speed - and Super Hexagon, which is basically /entirely/ about getting into an uninterrupted flow state.
Frankly, I don't think the third type has to be about smoothness either. Programming games and puzzle games can make gameplay central, gameplay the part in which the artistry resides, without any sense of smoothness.
@Felthry yeah - betting the same for me recognizing you. 😄