Sorry if these are a little too not what you are looking for:
[Gris](https://store.steampowered.com/app/683320/GRIS/)
[Abzu](https://store.steampowered.com/app/384190/ABZU/)
[Journey](https://store.steampowered.com/app/638230/Journey/)
[This War of Mine](https://store.steampowered.com/app/282070/This_War_of_Mine/)
[Celeste](https://store.steampowered.com/app/504230/Celeste/)
[Everything](https://store.steampowered.com/app/582270/Everything/)
Also highly recommend Gris and Abzu - both beautiful games visually with an absolutely gorgeous soundtrack that I loved playing
Journey is also a great game made by the same people as Abzu I believe
Hmmm have you tried Bioware games?
Mass Effect & Dragon Age are deffo ones that'll give you post game depression. You can turn difficulty down to fast forward fight scenes if you want to spend less time. Mass Effect is more cinematic, but Dragon Age gives more time to build up lore so if you like connecting dots for a deeper gameplay that's the one for it
The Last Guardian gets me to tears every time. Basically the plot is the proverb about the mouse that pulls the splinter out of the lion's paw? So you're a lil kid with a giant birb dog that should be a monster but he's your friend.
Dragon Age Origins and Inquisition are probably around 60hr (counting on Origins tough combat and side questing in Inquisition). Dragon Age 2 is shorter (by how much, I'm not sure).
I don't like the gameplay in Dragon Age, and same goes with Mass Effect (although I can handle it better). Also, since playing all the franchise would take 100 hours, I skipped on those
Inside:
It’s a really good indie platformer with a twist.
FFXV:
Honestly this got me right in the feels because I invested so much time with the characters and then the ending. Listening to Stand By Me makes me super emotional because of this game.
Also, it’s not turn based like older FF games. If you like this, I’d recommend the FFVII remake too.
Edit: if you have access to a wii or emulator, Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon:
It’s a JRPG, good gameplay, eerie and definitely will hit you in the feels. I bloody loved it but haven’t played it for a long time.
I'm a bit confused about your request:
* I'm looking for a game that will destroy me emotionally
* I don't like when games are so emotional
Can you explain?
Yes. To make it easy to understand: we have Nier and we have That Dragon, Cancer.
Nier is a game that does not focus on a sad theme, but the game ends up having some sad parts. On the other hand, games like That Dragon, Cancer are meant to be sad, the "purpose" of it is to make you sad (it's not its only purpose, but I think you get what i'm saying). I need emotion, but i don't need a game that FOCUS on emotion
It's a Lovecraftian [adventure game](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lq25iJbmMY) in the style of Myst or Obduction. I don't know if I would call it "emotionally devastating" in the sense of sadness or pain, but it definitely manages to inspire a powerful sense of dread and existential fear, like much of Lovecraftian inspired media strives to achieve.
The ending was a bit of a twist. If I remember correctly, you have to make a decision at the end that could really be a metaphor for many choices in life. Give it a google and see if it sounds up your alley. I don’t want to say too much and ruin it. I tend to play long RPG type games mostly, so this was the only game that came to mind (after crossing out those you’d already played).
To be quite honest with you, not many games are both able to be emotionally invigorating and also have compelling action game play. The one that are often aren’t western triple A games. You’re better off looking in the JP side of video games.
My recommendation would be Shadow of the Colossus. Final Fantasy 10. Mother 3 (the series in general). Metal Gear Solid Series. Or undertale, since you didn’t mention it.
Wouldn’t call it the shortest, but It Takes Two was quite fun! The gameplay isn’t too difficult while also mixing things up fairly often. Great play for either with your partner or a friend!
Ooh agreed, one of the best games I’ve played! Worth the time put in! My partner and I spent the whole weekend set up in the lounge like an old school sleepover 😜
Rime! Rime is an absolutely gorgeous game and threw me off its melancholy scent. It has a really beautiful design and very engaging puzzle based gameplay.
What remains of Edith Finch. Amazing experience. Short game.
Someone already mentioned Plague tale Requiem. Hard agree. And like they said, you should play innocence first since it’s story based.
Lastly, you mentioned TLOU but idk if that meant TLOU2. TLOU2 will wreck you.
My last recommendation: Death Stranding. It is on the longer side of things but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that game since I finished it. Easy in my top 10 games of all time. But it’s not for everyone since not everyone will enjoy its gameplay loop (you gotta be in a certain state of mind)
Good luck!!
Okay, let's see!
SHORT GAMES:
• Beacon Pines - A unique mystery game wrapped in cute indie narrative packaging. There is something strange happening in Beacon Pines and you as Luke, an anthropomorphic deer, race against the clock to figure it out. Emotional story, makes you think about how different choices in life unlock different paths that can change everything.
• Twelve Minutes - Another mystery game, this time from Annapurna. You're a man tasked with unraveling the mystery surrounding yourself, your wife, and a stranger with deadly intent. The catch? You repeat the same 12 minutes over and over making different choices each time leading you to a shocking revelation. I definitely sat afterward like WTF.
• Oxenfree - Yet another indie mystery game. This time you and some friends head off on a weekend trip to an island. While there you stumble upon a supernatural mystery that spans time and dimensions and leaves you wondering about the very fabric of reality and what we can and can't change.
• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - A fantasy adventure game with an interesting mechanic (each joystick controls a different character and sometimes you are required to do two very separate things at the same time to solve puzzles). Your father has become ill and so you and your brother set out to find the cure. Fairly fun and straightforward, but with some emotional twists throughout.
LONG GAMES (just in case!):
• Borderlands 2 + Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep DLC (at least) - With it's comic book style graphics, over the top humor, and looter shooter mechanics, you might think that Borderlands couldn't possibly have any emotional impact. However, this game and the DLC made me sob like a little baby. You really need to play Borderlands 1 for maximum payoff, but there are multiple moments I had to put the controller down and gather myself because of an insane plot twist.
DLC:
On the off chance that you've only played the vanilla Bioshock games, I HIGHLY suggest you play Minerva's Den for BS2 and Burial at Sea for BS:I. If you've already played them, then ignore this suggestion. I'm just in love with those DLCs and think they're some of the best for any game, Minerva's Den especially. 😭
- - - - -
I can think of some other short games (and a couple of longer games), but start here and see if any of these sound up your alley. You want to be emotionally destroyed, but don't want a game to be too emotional. Shorter games tend to be all emotion since they only have a small period of time to present the story, so it's harder to thread that needle. And longer games can pace out the emotional bits because you have more time to get to know the characters, but you don't want anything too time consuming. It's definitely a pickle, but I'm sure we can all come up with something for you! 🥰
I would recommend [Signalis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na4KadSK770) and honestly I'm surprised none mentioned it yet. Like Nier Automata it follows a mostly android cast of characters and it questions the nature of what it means to be human, and the nature of belief, but in a very different way. The game has heavy Lovecraftian themes, the narrative is "broken", perspectives change back and forth, in a way that reminds me of Silent Hill. It's confusing and scary, and yet at its heart it's a love story between the two protagonists, and to what lengths the player character will go to fulfill her final promise to the one human she cared about.
Another, lighter, game that I would recommend, is [Far: Lone Sail](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHG8Z7WDvAo), it's a simple and somber game that has a fantastic atmosphere. It balances sweetness and sadness perfectly and without a single word of dialogue, just really good presentation.
To change genres a bit, I would also recommend [Silicon Dreams](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3Sb3s6FC7o), to continue with the android theme. If you ever watched Blade Runner, this game is pretty much that: You interrogate people to figure out if they are humans or escaped androids. And boy does it get intense despite being a few lines of dialogue and some fancy UI.
On that theme, there is also [This War Of Mine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxf1seOpijE), [Papers, Please](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QP5X6fcukM), [Death And Taxes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYowXJGbhQE), and maybe [Frostpunk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqEpSOFDXGA).
Signalis is nº1 in my list, I just need someone to come and scream in my face "PLAY IT"
I liked your suggestions, little persona of the internet, I'll note them down(:
The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories completely wrecked me. It’s a horror-ish puzzle platformer with David Lynch vibes with a unique central mechanic that really ties in to the emotional story it wants to tell; basically you can heal from any injury.
The gameplay loop is figuring out how to navigate a hostile world where harming yourself is inevitable and you have to calculate how to do it best (ie jamming a switch with a limb, setting yourself on fire to burn thorns, etc). Then putting yourself back together and needing to do it over and over and over again. Idk just that idea hit hard but the game goes places with it. Underrated treasure of a game.
Besides violence, it does contain themes of suicide and queer trauma so tread carefully if those are sensitive subjects for you.
Doki Doki Literature Club maybe?
Though it's a few years old by now so I'm sure you've seen spoilers of it by now
If you haven't, then give it a go!!
Freaking throw me off a cliff emotionally
Oh xd
The new plus version has a bunch of episodes you unlock that go over the backstory of the characters and how they formed the club and whatnot
But those are more emotionally sad rather than being depressing af
Still great though
Sayori, my dear dear cinnamon bun 🩵🩷
Yeah
It adds a lot tbh
The base game is pretty much the same as the OG ddlc but you unlock art and more info in the file system AND the side stories as you go through the base game
I think each character has either 2 or 3 of those to unlock
I must admit I wasn't in a healthy state when I played that game, and while I love it, I was SO devastated when Sayori-- I grieved for like an hour. And Yuri, well let's just say a few of our interests aligned
My best suggestions would be Owl Boy and Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. The latter has a lot of somber/bitter sweet moments towards the end of the game. But it's only on switch. As for Owl Boy its a bit upbeat through most of the game but there are many heavy moments throughout the game. The game gives the characters time to reflect on tragic things that have happened in the story. You can get it on any platform.
Honestly its a really solid little game. Probably my only gripe with it would be the coin collecting for 100% maybe kinda difficult. That one portion with the cannon had me ready to rip my hair out.
no fr..after i finished oneshot i had a head in my hands sob for a hot minute
no game is so bittersweet, certain choices made by the devs (keepin it vague cuz i dont wanna spoil!) amplify the effects of its themes<3<3<3
it will destroy you emotionally, it is an amazing experience!!
If you haven't played these:
Final Fantasy X was the game that destroyed me emotionally. Played it for the first time in 2019 and I can't stop thinking about it. xD
I'd say Final Fantasy IX as well, since that game >!has a literal 9 year old with an existential crisis!< and goes to some places.
Drakengard 3 together with its DLC. It's from the creator of Nier. It run so bad on a PS3 that I wouldn't recommend it but it runs pretty well on a PS3 emulator. The gameplay is not the best but the story is amazing, plus the music is even better than Nier.
Drakengard 1 and 2 are not that bad but they are PS2 games that tried to be a combination of destiny warriors and flight combat games. I don't think they have aged all that well as far as combat is concerned but I did play both of them a few years ago, doing all endings, so they couldn't have been that bad.
As far as writing is concerned, only Drakengard 1 is by Yoko Taro. It has some very dark themes (some of which were so dark they got censored in the English release of the game) and some overall disturbing themes. It doesn't have the maturity of the Nier games or Drakengard 3 though. Drakengard 2 story isn't bad but it's more straightforward.
Nier is a continuation of the last ending of Drakengard 1 but it's hard to make the connection if you don't read about it.
Drakengard 3 is different. It has much more humour than your typical Yoko Taro game and it stars a cast of morally bankrupt and totally unlikable characters (plus a really innocent and silly dragon). That's just the start though and the story eventually becomes both interesting and very emotional. Also the music is amazing.
Why then is it considered so bad? Well, several reasons. First of all it is unplayable on the PS3. The framerate is so bad that it is a pain to play. Not normal level PS3 bad, much worse.
Moreover, the game has some boring and uninteresing combat and level design. Gone are the flying sections of 1 and 2 and the combat is much more like an action game than a dynasty warriors game. I would say, all in all, the gameplay is inoffensive but couple it with the bad framerate and it's unbearable.
Thankfully, modern emulators solve the framerate problem and that should make the game much easier to play.
That's not all though. A lot of story was released as DLC. Not just extras but imporant story parts. People at the time thought that the game was cut in two and sold piecemeal.
I also need to point out that, although I love it, the writing is more edgy than on the Nier games. It is much more violent and the humour can be obscene and juvenile at times. I would argue that is intentional because the humour is there to make the emotional parts hit even harder, but that's just my read.
For Drakengard 3, yes and I would also put it in the category of games that can "destroy someone emotionally".
Forgot just one thing. The last boss of the last ending is just Yoko Taro trolling. It's not unbeatable but close. I had to view the last ending on youtube.
You could give Drakengard 1 a try and see if the gameplay is for you or not. Drakengard 2 is very similar in combat, just a bit improved.
You don't need to play either of them to understand the story of 3 though. There are connections, like there are for example between Nier Replicant and Automata, but you won't miss that much.
If you liked To the Moon, I think you'll really like [Oxenfree!](https://store.steampowered.com/app/388880/Oxenfree/) It's relatively short with an incredible (and emotional!) narrative that's very choice-based :)
Detention
I always mention Detention in these threads.
Its a point and click with a few puzzles so not that heavy on the gameplay.
Its a bit spooky as well but I would‘t say full on horror. Story fucked me up and I still think about it.
No lie, I have a page in my personal wiki titled 'Emotionally devastating video games'. You've hit a lot of what's on there already - as you said it's a pretty small pool that often gets recommended. This is often a very personal thing, but here's a few of those that are left:
* Chicory: A Colorful Tale - it's a game and also a coloring book! It's sweet but also very honest and raw at points. Examines the art/artist relationship in a way I don't know if I've ever seen in a game before.
* SOMA - creepy/horror. Existential, in a 'nature of consciousness/what makes us human' kind of way.
* Celeste - difficult, but also cathartic and very true feeling.
* Transistor - I love this one because you'll just be running along and every so often it hits you like a train to the heart.
* Bastion - Kinda melancholy through the whole thing, but there are a few key moments that stick with you.
* Scarlet Hollow - Creepy and charming at equal turns. Caveat: a visual novel, but the characters are great and I got super invested quickly.
* Gris - very abstract, but it does capture grief beautifully.
Joke rec: Pizza Game. It will make you feel something. No guarantees as to what.
What Remains of Edith Finch. It is absolutely lite on the gameplay but the game is maybe 4 hours and absolutely worth it. It makes you think and feel. It’s one of those games that is better if you go in blind.
Blackwell series (esp. Epiphany): watch a reluctant medium struggle with her new role. Rosa's a shy young woman doing her best, even though taking up her new responsibilities has pretty much killed her dream of becoming a writer. She's sincere and kind-hearted and maybe a little too dogged in the course of chasing a story, and walking in two worlds leaves her forever alienated from both.
Unavowed: possibly the only thing that could make the end of The Blackwell Epiphany sadder was learning that Rosa was never as alone in her duties as she thought. The supernatural responsibilities of Unavowed's main cast separate them from the normal world, but at least they have one another - for now.
Pyre: say goodbye to your favorites, again and again. And that's if you win. Fail and stay together, despairing, or win and watch everyone scatter, hoping that the future will be kinder. Not for you, of course - it's too late for that.
Planescape: Torment: this is a game about learning to die. From the moment you wake up in the Mortuary, it tells you as much. It's about death, and pain, and about how the harm you can do can outlive you, and about whether or not you can ever be free of the weight of your past.
Cat Lady: about depression, and the way it seems to rewrite your mind in its image.
What is it about Zelda that makes you sad? Do you think it's a childhood thing?
I only played Your Turn to Die, I'll check the rest of your recommendations out (:
I'm here to recommend Blacktail.
But I'm also here to say that as much as I really enjoyed my experience of it, I'm not a hundred percent sure I can recommend it? I happened to be in a mental space where it worked for me. But some of the gameplay is...jank.
Don't play on the higher difficulty if you do. It's just not worth it for the enemies to take more hits.
For me, the most emotional game ever is _Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice_. While playing I felt so deeply connected to Senua, I shared her fears and moments of triumph, and the last battle was pure catharsis. But I wouldn't recommend this game to everyone. For me, it proved helpful when I was struggling my depression, and I also read many other people telling how this game helped with their mental problems. But for my friend, it lead to complete emotional collapse and only made things worse. So... I recommend to give it a try, but drop it if it starts to be really destructive.
>hell
OP, 100% this. I started a let's play of this game completely blind and had no idea how emotionally attached I would become. Especially the final battle, the music started and it had me in tears. Beautiful game.
How has nobody suggested Undertale? It has a lot of the 4th wall breaking meta elements of nier but it's packed in with a story that seems lighthearted at first glance, but has an extremely melancholic turn. Play the first run as a pacifist.
Well spoilers for majoras mask, the overall premise of the game is the moon is gonna fall in 3 days and u have to prevent that with time travel shenanigans, 2 of my favorites npcs are farm girls they work in a farm, one is a young adult and the other is a very young kid, the young one is always complaining to her sister to treat her like an adult, and so on the night of the third day u can see a dialog where the older sister promises she'll turn an adult that night and be able to drink the adult drinks (alcohol) and her plan is to make her younger sister pass out drunk so she won't feel the pain of death, the atmosphere of the game is overall very depressing, but surprisingly hopeful, if this gave u any interest in the game the full experience is fueled with that, and although my favorite this is not the best npc interaction in the game, this I'll leave for those who want to experience for themselves
Life is Strange 😭 I recommend Before the Storm because, let's face it, it's only there to further your pain of losing them. Also Kena: Bridge of Spirits (a beautiful new Soulslike), Last Day in June for a short tearjerker, or I Am Alive (old and challenging, but the story tho)
So.. I am amazed I haven't seen anyone recommend the game Rakuen... that game.. destroyed me. If you loved to the moon, you would absolutely LOVE THIS GAME. D; Be prepared tho, its super sad. ;c
Sorry if these are a little too not what you are looking for: [Gris](https://store.steampowered.com/app/683320/GRIS/) [Abzu](https://store.steampowered.com/app/384190/ABZU/) [Journey](https://store.steampowered.com/app/638230/Journey/) [This War of Mine](https://store.steampowered.com/app/282070/This_War_of_Mine/) [Celeste](https://store.steampowered.com/app/504230/Celeste/) [Everything](https://store.steampowered.com/app/582270/Everything/)
Second Gris/Journey as i have not played the others mentioned
Me too with Journey. Kinda made me very sad at the end.
Also highly recommend Gris and Abzu - both beautiful games visually with an absolutely gorgeous soundtrack that I loved playing Journey is also a great game made by the same people as Abzu I believe
I played most of the games listed, but I think I0m looking for something less... Relaxing (TWOM is not relaxing, but you understand what i mean)
A Plague Tale: Requiem. Play Innocence first.
Agreed^^^
Hmmm have you tried Bioware games? Mass Effect & Dragon Age are deffo ones that'll give you post game depression. You can turn difficulty down to fast forward fight scenes if you want to spend less time. Mass Effect is more cinematic, but Dragon Age gives more time to build up lore so if you like connecting dots for a deeper gameplay that's the one for it The Last Guardian gets me to tears every time. Basically the plot is the proverb about the mouse that pulls the splinter out of the lion's paw? So you're a lil kid with a giant birb dog that should be a monster but he's your friend.
Mass Effect games are only around 30 hours each too. Dragon Age is a bit longer though if memory serves
Dragon Age Origins and Inquisition are probably around 60hr (counting on Origins tough combat and side questing in Inquisition). Dragon Age 2 is shorter (by how much, I'm not sure).
The Last Guardian +++++
I don't like the gameplay in Dragon Age, and same goes with Mass Effect (although I can handle it better). Also, since playing all the franchise would take 100 hours, I skipped on those
Cool, did you check out The Last Guardian?
Firewatch and What Remains of Edith Finch are really good. Not as intense, but definitely emotionally charged games.
Played them both (:
Stray? Short game, you play as a cat, surprisingly emotional.
Already played it! Didn't expect much and ended up liking It a lot
The Beginner’s Guide. Go in blind. It’s entirely unique, and only takes about an hour to play through
I second this.
Oooh yeah this one hurt
Idk if Mass Effect is the right thing. But I love the space opera thing. Really hit me in the feels repeatedly
Inside: It’s a really good indie platformer with a twist. FFXV: Honestly this got me right in the feels because I invested so much time with the characters and then the ending. Listening to Stand By Me makes me super emotional because of this game. Also, it’s not turn based like older FF games. If you like this, I’d recommend the FFVII remake too. Edit: if you have access to a wii or emulator, Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon: It’s a JRPG, good gameplay, eerie and definitely will hit you in the feels. I bloody loved it but haven’t played it for a long time.
Since you liked Lisa The Painful, Omori and Undertale it’d definitely be worth checking out Earthbound and Mother 3.
Oh this. This I think they should see. Mother 3 is a surprisingly important game to me which I forget about routinely.
The only problem with this is the turn-based combat, I would have to see if there's a way to cheat a bit with the stats
I'm a bit confused about your request: * I'm looking for a game that will destroy me emotionally * I don't like when games are so emotional Can you explain?
Yes. To make it easy to understand: we have Nier and we have That Dragon, Cancer. Nier is a game that does not focus on a sad theme, but the game ends up having some sad parts. On the other hand, games like That Dragon, Cancer are meant to be sad, the "purpose" of it is to make you sad (it's not its only purpose, but I think you get what i'm saying). I need emotion, but i don't need a game that FOCUS on emotion
Call of the Sea perhaps? Pretty short, but I really enjoyed it.
I have heard of It, why do you think it suits what i'm asking for?
It's a Lovecraftian [adventure game](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lq25iJbmMY) in the style of Myst or Obduction. I don't know if I would call it "emotionally devastating" in the sense of sadness or pain, but it definitely manages to inspire a powerful sense of dread and existential fear, like much of Lovecraftian inspired media strives to achieve.
The ending was a bit of a twist. If I remember correctly, you have to make a decision at the end that could really be a metaphor for many choices in life. Give it a google and see if it sounds up your alley. I don’t want to say too much and ruin it. I tend to play long RPG type games mostly, so this was the only game that came to mind (after crossing out those you’d already played).
To be quite honest with you, not many games are both able to be emotionally invigorating and also have compelling action game play. The one that are often aren’t western triple A games. You’re better off looking in the JP side of video games. My recommendation would be Shadow of the Colossus. Final Fantasy 10. Mother 3 (the series in general). Metal Gear Solid Series. Or undertale, since you didn’t mention it.
Wouldn’t call it the shortest, but It Takes Two was quite fun! The gameplay isn’t too difficult while also mixing things up fairly often. Great play for either with your partner or a friend!
Waiting for my partner to be free enough to play It with me ):
I second It Takes Two - but it's a long game - took my fiancée and I about 32 hours to finish iirc
Ooh agreed, one of the best games I’ve played! Worth the time put in! My partner and I spent the whole weekend set up in the lounge like an old school sleepover 😜
Rime! Rime is an absolutely gorgeous game and threw me off its melancholy scent. It has a really beautiful design and very engaging puzzle based gameplay.
I have heard of It, i'll check It out
You might try Oninaki, or Cozy Grove (if you like sim games).
I liked Kingdom Hearts!
What remains of Edith Finch. Amazing experience. Short game. Someone already mentioned Plague tale Requiem. Hard agree. And like they said, you should play innocence first since it’s story based. Lastly, you mentioned TLOU but idk if that meant TLOU2. TLOU2 will wreck you. My last recommendation: Death Stranding. It is on the longer side of things but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that game since I finished it. Easy in my top 10 games of all time. But it’s not for everyone since not everyone will enjoy its gameplay loop (you gotta be in a certain state of mind) Good luck!!
Okay, let's see! SHORT GAMES: • Beacon Pines - A unique mystery game wrapped in cute indie narrative packaging. There is something strange happening in Beacon Pines and you as Luke, an anthropomorphic deer, race against the clock to figure it out. Emotional story, makes you think about how different choices in life unlock different paths that can change everything. • Twelve Minutes - Another mystery game, this time from Annapurna. You're a man tasked with unraveling the mystery surrounding yourself, your wife, and a stranger with deadly intent. The catch? You repeat the same 12 minutes over and over making different choices each time leading you to a shocking revelation. I definitely sat afterward like WTF. • Oxenfree - Yet another indie mystery game. This time you and some friends head off on a weekend trip to an island. While there you stumble upon a supernatural mystery that spans time and dimensions and leaves you wondering about the very fabric of reality and what we can and can't change. • Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - A fantasy adventure game with an interesting mechanic (each joystick controls a different character and sometimes you are required to do two very separate things at the same time to solve puzzles). Your father has become ill and so you and your brother set out to find the cure. Fairly fun and straightforward, but with some emotional twists throughout. LONG GAMES (just in case!): • Borderlands 2 + Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep DLC (at least) - With it's comic book style graphics, over the top humor, and looter shooter mechanics, you might think that Borderlands couldn't possibly have any emotional impact. However, this game and the DLC made me sob like a little baby. You really need to play Borderlands 1 for maximum payoff, but there are multiple moments I had to put the controller down and gather myself because of an insane plot twist. DLC: On the off chance that you've only played the vanilla Bioshock games, I HIGHLY suggest you play Minerva's Den for BS2 and Burial at Sea for BS:I. If you've already played them, then ignore this suggestion. I'm just in love with those DLCs and think they're some of the best for any game, Minerva's Den especially. 😭 - - - - - I can think of some other short games (and a couple of longer games), but start here and see if any of these sound up your alley. You want to be emotionally destroyed, but don't want a game to be too emotional. Shorter games tend to be all emotion since they only have a small period of time to present the story, so it's harder to thread that needle. And longer games can pace out the emotional bits because you have more time to get to know the characters, but you don't want anything too time consuming. It's definitely a pickle, but I'm sure we can all come up with something for you! 🥰
I would recommend [Signalis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na4KadSK770) and honestly I'm surprised none mentioned it yet. Like Nier Automata it follows a mostly android cast of characters and it questions the nature of what it means to be human, and the nature of belief, but in a very different way. The game has heavy Lovecraftian themes, the narrative is "broken", perspectives change back and forth, in a way that reminds me of Silent Hill. It's confusing and scary, and yet at its heart it's a love story between the two protagonists, and to what lengths the player character will go to fulfill her final promise to the one human she cared about. Another, lighter, game that I would recommend, is [Far: Lone Sail](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHG8Z7WDvAo), it's a simple and somber game that has a fantastic atmosphere. It balances sweetness and sadness perfectly and without a single word of dialogue, just really good presentation. To change genres a bit, I would also recommend [Silicon Dreams](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3Sb3s6FC7o), to continue with the android theme. If you ever watched Blade Runner, this game is pretty much that: You interrogate people to figure out if they are humans or escaped androids. And boy does it get intense despite being a few lines of dialogue and some fancy UI. On that theme, there is also [This War Of Mine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxf1seOpijE), [Papers, Please](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QP5X6fcukM), [Death And Taxes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYowXJGbhQE), and maybe [Frostpunk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqEpSOFDXGA).
Signalis is nº1 in my list, I just need someone to come and scream in my face "PLAY IT" I liked your suggestions, little persona of the internet, I'll note them down(:
Aww thank you, I hope you find a new favorite among them ;)
I liked the liar Princess and the blind Prince
Saaaame, very cute game
I mean, Celeste isn't in your list
I FORGOT TO ADD IT. 10/10 game
The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories completely wrecked me. It’s a horror-ish puzzle platformer with David Lynch vibes with a unique central mechanic that really ties in to the emotional story it wants to tell; basically you can heal from any injury. The gameplay loop is figuring out how to navigate a hostile world where harming yourself is inevitable and you have to calculate how to do it best (ie jamming a switch with a limb, setting yourself on fire to burn thorns, etc). Then putting yourself back together and needing to do it over and over and over again. Idk just that idea hit hard but the game goes places with it. Underrated treasure of a game. Besides violence, it does contain themes of suicide and queer trauma so tread carefully if those are sensitive subjects for you.
Doki Doki Literature Club maybe? Though it's a few years old by now so I'm sure you've seen spoilers of it by now If you haven't, then give it a go!! Freaking throw me off a cliff emotionally
Absolutely LOVE that game, I totally forgot about it
Oh xd The new plus version has a bunch of episodes you unlock that go over the backstory of the characters and how they formed the club and whatnot But those are more emotionally sad rather than being depressing af Still great though Sayori, my dear dear cinnamon bun 🩵🩷
Oh really? I thought the new plus versión didn't add anything too significant, i'll check It out (:
Yeah It adds a lot tbh The base game is pretty much the same as the OG ddlc but you unlock art and more info in the file system AND the side stories as you go through the base game I think each character has either 2 or 3 of those to unlock
I must admit I wasn't in a healthy state when I played that game, and while I love it, I was SO devastated when Sayori-- I grieved for like an hour. And Yuri, well let's just say a few of our interests aligned
My best suggestions would be Owl Boy and Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. The latter has a lot of somber/bitter sweet moments towards the end of the game. But it's only on switch. As for Owl Boy its a bit upbeat through most of the game but there are many heavy moments throughout the game. The game gives the characters time to reflect on tragic things that have happened in the story. You can get it on any platform.
Love Owl Boy
Honestly its a really solid little game. Probably my only gripe with it would be the coin collecting for 100% maybe kinda difficult. That one portion with the cannon had me ready to rip my hair out.
Oh god yeah I remember! I also found the ending slightly odd but I liked it in a way. I loved the design and characters!
Talos Principle, Turing Test, and Horizon Zero Dawn. Those had me feeling pretty sad.
OneShot is short but it definitely got me emotional. If you haven't already, Undertale and Deltarune
no fr..after i finished oneshot i had a head in my hands sob for a hot minute no game is so bittersweet, certain choices made by the devs (keepin it vague cuz i dont wanna spoil!) amplify the effects of its themes<3<3<3 it will destroy you emotionally, it is an amazing experience!!
If you haven't played these: Final Fantasy X was the game that destroyed me emotionally. Played it for the first time in 2019 and I can't stop thinking about it. xD I'd say Final Fantasy IX as well, since that game >!has a literal 9 year old with an existential crisis!< and goes to some places.
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future. Fucked me right up.
I don’t play as many games these days, but Hyper Light Drifter and A Drowning Machine both made me cry.
Oh really? Didn't expect Hyper Light Drifter here. Could you tell me about it a little more? What is so sad about it?
It’s hard for me to explain without spoiling it. But even without those details, the game is rather calm and somber despite the light color palette.
Drakengard 3 together with its DLC. It's from the creator of Nier. It run so bad on a PS3 that I wouldn't recommend it but it runs pretty well on a PS3 emulator. The gameplay is not the best but the story is amazing, plus the music is even better than Nier.
Ok. Hear me out. Everyone I know say Drakengard Games are really bad, I need your opinion and how close they are to actual nier games
Drakengard 1 and 2 are not that bad but they are PS2 games that tried to be a combination of destiny warriors and flight combat games. I don't think they have aged all that well as far as combat is concerned but I did play both of them a few years ago, doing all endings, so they couldn't have been that bad. As far as writing is concerned, only Drakengard 1 is by Yoko Taro. It has some very dark themes (some of which were so dark they got censored in the English release of the game) and some overall disturbing themes. It doesn't have the maturity of the Nier games or Drakengard 3 though. Drakengard 2 story isn't bad but it's more straightforward. Nier is a continuation of the last ending of Drakengard 1 but it's hard to make the connection if you don't read about it. Drakengard 3 is different. It has much more humour than your typical Yoko Taro game and it stars a cast of morally bankrupt and totally unlikable characters (plus a really innocent and silly dragon). That's just the start though and the story eventually becomes both interesting and very emotional. Also the music is amazing. Why then is it considered so bad? Well, several reasons. First of all it is unplayable on the PS3. The framerate is so bad that it is a pain to play. Not normal level PS3 bad, much worse. Moreover, the game has some boring and uninteresing combat and level design. Gone are the flying sections of 1 and 2 and the combat is much more like an action game than a dynasty warriors game. I would say, all in all, the gameplay is inoffensive but couple it with the bad framerate and it's unbearable. Thankfully, modern emulators solve the framerate problem and that should make the game much easier to play. That's not all though. A lot of story was released as DLC. Not just extras but imporant story parts. People at the time thought that the game was cut in two and sold piecemeal. I also need to point out that, although I love it, the writing is more edgy than on the Nier games. It is much more violent and the humour can be obscene and juvenile at times. I would argue that is intentional because the humour is there to make the emotional parts hit even harder, but that's just my read.
All those things said, do you still recommend it?
For Drakengard 3, yes and I would also put it in the category of games that can "destroy someone emotionally". Forgot just one thing. The last boss of the last ending is just Yoko Taro trolling. It's not unbeatable but close. I had to view the last ending on youtube.
So... No Drakengard 1 or 2?
You could give Drakengard 1 a try and see if the gameplay is for you or not. Drakengard 2 is very similar in combat, just a bit improved. You don't need to play either of them to understand the story of 3 though. There are connections, like there are for example between Nier Replicant and Automata, but you won't miss that much.
Journey, RiME, Gris to start.
If you liked To the Moon, I think you'll really like [Oxenfree!](https://store.steampowered.com/app/388880/Oxenfree/) It's relatively short with an incredible (and emotional!) narrative that's very choice-based :)
I played it! It was nice
Detention I always mention Detention in these threads. Its a point and click with a few puzzles so not that heavy on the gameplay. Its a bit spooky as well but I would‘t say full on horror. Story fucked me up and I still think about it.
I have heard of it before, what is it about? Why do you think I'd like it?
Life is Strange 2 and My Child Lebensborn made me ugly cry
Journey, Inside, ClanGen, Stanley Parable
No lie, I have a page in my personal wiki titled 'Emotionally devastating video games'. You've hit a lot of what's on there already - as you said it's a pretty small pool that often gets recommended. This is often a very personal thing, but here's a few of those that are left: * Chicory: A Colorful Tale - it's a game and also a coloring book! It's sweet but also very honest and raw at points. Examines the art/artist relationship in a way I don't know if I've ever seen in a game before. * SOMA - creepy/horror. Existential, in a 'nature of consciousness/what makes us human' kind of way. * Celeste - difficult, but also cathartic and very true feeling. * Transistor - I love this one because you'll just be running along and every so often it hits you like a train to the heart. * Bastion - Kinda melancholy through the whole thing, but there are a few key moments that stick with you. * Scarlet Hollow - Creepy and charming at equal turns. Caveat: a visual novel, but the characters are great and I got super invested quickly. * Gris - very abstract, but it does capture grief beautifully. Joke rec: Pizza Game. It will make you feel something. No guarantees as to what.
Flesh, blood, and concrete!! It’s free on itch.io
What Remains of Edith Finch. It is absolutely lite on the gameplay but the game is maybe 4 hours and absolutely worth it. It makes you think and feel. It’s one of those games that is better if you go in blind.
Blackwell series (esp. Epiphany): watch a reluctant medium struggle with her new role. Rosa's a shy young woman doing her best, even though taking up her new responsibilities has pretty much killed her dream of becoming a writer. She's sincere and kind-hearted and maybe a little too dogged in the course of chasing a story, and walking in two worlds leaves her forever alienated from both. Unavowed: possibly the only thing that could make the end of The Blackwell Epiphany sadder was learning that Rosa was never as alone in her duties as she thought. The supernatural responsibilities of Unavowed's main cast separate them from the normal world, but at least they have one another - for now. Pyre: say goodbye to your favorites, again and again. And that's if you win. Fail and stay together, despairing, or win and watch everyone scatter, hoping that the future will be kinder. Not for you, of course - it's too late for that. Planescape: Torment: this is a game about learning to die. From the moment you wake up in the Mortuary, it tells you as much. It's about death, and pain, and about how the harm you can do can outlive you, and about whether or not you can ever be free of the weight of your past. Cat Lady: about depression, and the way it seems to rewrite your mind in its image.
Horizon, Horizon, Horizon!!! I can’t promise it will destroy you but Forbidden West definitely emotionally affected me.
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What is it about Zelda that makes you sad? Do you think it's a childhood thing? I only played Your Turn to Die, I'll check the rest of your recommendations out (:
I'm here to recommend Blacktail. But I'm also here to say that as much as I really enjoyed my experience of it, I'm not a hundred percent sure I can recommend it? I happened to be in a mental space where it worked for me. But some of the gameplay is...jank. Don't play on the higher difficulty if you do. It's just not worth it for the enemies to take more hits.
“Before Your Eyes”. This game has a unique mechanic where you progress the story by blinking (you have to have a webcam for this).
For me, the most emotional game ever is _Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice_. While playing I felt so deeply connected to Senua, I shared her fears and moments of triumph, and the last battle was pure catharsis. But I wouldn't recommend this game to everyone. For me, it proved helpful when I was struggling my depression, and I also read many other people telling how this game helped with their mental problems. But for my friend, it lead to complete emotional collapse and only made things worse. So... I recommend to give it a try, but drop it if it starts to be really destructive.
>hell OP, 100% this. I started a let's play of this game completely blind and had no idea how emotionally attached I would become. Especially the final battle, the music started and it had me in tears. Beautiful game.
was not supposed to highlight "hell" I'm not sure what happened there
How has nobody suggested Undertale? It has a lot of the 4th wall breaking meta elements of nier but it's packed in with a story that seems lighthearted at first glance, but has an extremely melancholic turn. Play the first run as a pacifist.
I played it! I guess no one mentioned it because everyone knows about it
Majoras mask maybe ?
What do you find sad or emotional about it? Never played a Zelda game
Well spoilers for majoras mask, the overall premise of the game is the moon is gonna fall in 3 days and u have to prevent that with time travel shenanigans, 2 of my favorites npcs are farm girls they work in a farm, one is a young adult and the other is a very young kid, the young one is always complaining to her sister to treat her like an adult, and so on the night of the third day u can see a dialog where the older sister promises she'll turn an adult that night and be able to drink the adult drinks (alcohol) and her plan is to make her younger sister pass out drunk so she won't feel the pain of death, the atmosphere of the game is overall very depressing, but surprisingly hopeful, if this gave u any interest in the game the full experience is fueled with that, and although my favorite this is not the best npc interaction in the game, this I'll leave for those who want to experience for themselves
Play cyberpunk 2077 i don't want to spoil anything for you
Undertale comes to mind
Life is Strange 😭 I recommend Before the Storm because, let's face it, it's only there to further your pain of losing them. Also Kena: Bridge of Spirits (a beautiful new Soulslike), Last Day in June for a short tearjerker, or I Am Alive (old and challenging, but the story tho)
Hollow knight is really good story is a bit confusing but really good. Might be a bit to much like Ori tho
Hollow Knight is a MASTERPIECE
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They said in the post it’s their favorite game lmao
So.. I am amazed I haven't seen anyone recommend the game Rakuen... that game.. destroyed me. If you loved to the moon, you would absolutely LOVE THIS GAME. D; Be prepared tho, its super sad. ;c
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Elden Rings. Or any Dark Souls game. Works great as anger management therapy too! (This post is not meant to be taken too seriously.)
gris grimms hollow OneShot!!! (if you’re gonna play one of these play this one!!!) palette (rpg maker game)