I definitely disagree with OP over Gone Home's merits. I love a story-driven game, and even though some have boiled it down to a "walking simulator", labeling it as such is just too simplistic. It excels at creating an atmosphere, and you can really get a sense of each family member's personality and internal/external struggles and triumphs if you nose around the house and take stock of your surroundings. While it's certainly not everyone's cup of tea, I loved the 4 or 5 hours I spent with it.
While there have always been a wealth of uninspired 2d platformers, there are also a ton of great, newer ones. Have you checked out Battleblock Theater? Freedom Planet? Dust? VVVVVV? Mercenary Kings? I don't think any of those would call themselves "art games", but they all have a great aesthetic and solid gameplay. I'd go out on a limb and say as long as people are making 2d platformers, there's going to be at least 10 generic and/or dull ones to every great one. It's simply been that way since the 8-bit days.
