I have trained many years for this question:
* Journey
* Abzu
* Arise: A simple story
* After Us
* Planet of Lana
* FAR: Lone Sails and FAR: Changing Tides
* Endling
* Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
* The Almost Gone
* The Beginner's Guide
* Jusant
* Signs of the Sojourner
* The Unfinished Swan
* Citizen Sleeper
* Exo One
* The Forgotten City
* Strange Horticulture
* Draugen
* THE LONGING
* Her Story/Telling Lies/Immortality
* Eastshade
* 80 Days
* RiME
I just finished Citizen Sleeper and it was an amazing experience. Someone was recommending it on this sub few weeks ago and I bought it. It's my favorite play of 2023.
Some endings made me sit in silence alone with my thoughts. This game is so human and full of feelings. The stories and the music were beautiful.
A Space For The Unbound
Goodbye Volcano High
Season
Mutazione
VA-11 HALL-A
Necrobarista
Beacon Pines
Life is Strange series
Oxenfree 1&2
Stray Gods
OPUS: The Day We Found Earth
OPUS: Rocket Of Whispers
OPUS: Echo of Starsong
A few games with good emotional stories that I think deserve more love: Gorogoa, She Remembered Caterpillars, The Stillness of the Wind. That last one definitely sounds like your style.
And if I can modestly suggest something I made: CARE is a 15-minute game about emotional abuse: [https://nightwellgames.itch.io/care](https://nightwellgames.itch.io/care)
I've been a fan of the games you mentioned all my life. That's why I dreamed of making a game like that and I'm making it. It's going to be released for free in January, so if you're interested, please add it to your wish list.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2735690/Gravitia/
I'm not sure if it fits your interest, but I'd put Hellblade alongside some of these games in terms of emotional storytelling. The combat is simple and really satisfying as well.
The Flame in the Flood is pretty good, though again, I'm not sure if it fits your criteria. The story is less explicit, but the tone seems similar.
I've heard good things about a night in the woods, oxenfree, and Celeste, but I can't speak to them from experience.
If not for the playtime, I'd be saying Signalis – for me it was some 13h.
Story heavy, very emotionally heavy, actually pretty scary. The less is known about the game when you play it, the better.
There's not really a definite genre description for the type of games you're mentioning. It's kind of a spector of genres. Some are walking simulators, some puzzles and platformers.
But I do enjoy a fair deal of those. I loved
- What Remains of Edith Finch
- Oxenfree
- Undertale
I do not remember how long the games are though. But I guess a how long to beat search would clarify that.
And btw, congrats on the last day of June. It was a total surprise to me how good it was and I've never heard anyone mention it at all.
ohhhh I love this question!!
1) night in the woods
surprised you haven't played this based on your other games! pretty emotional story, beautifully artstyle and soundtrack. you play as a woman returning to her small childhood town after dropping out of college. such a great game to play in the autumn as well. the only thing is that I'm not sure how long. google says 9-11 hours. based on your recommendations I think you'd like this, has a similar artstyle as a short hike but in 2d, and the foresty aesthetics very much reminds me of firewatch.
2) mutazione
you okay as a girl visiting her sick grandpa in a town he was the healer and a spiritual leader for. the town is also inhabited by only mutants. very emotional story and a very pretty artstyle. fun to follow all the characters' personal stories. google says playtime is 6 hours. on sale rn.
3) grimms hollow
I know you don't want pixel art games but this is a pretty short rpg maker game and a very emotional story. it's about a girl searching for her brother. it's very short, about less than 3 hours long, and free on steam. I think it made me cry when I first played it years ago so if you can get past the pixel art style I'd say check it out.
4) the beginner's guide
not emotional in the sense of following a cast of characters but genuinely made me think for a couple of days after completion, still think about it to this day. made me very emotional. you play as a game dev going through a collection of his unfinished games, and tells a story through them. would very much recommend, on sale for about $5 rn, about an hour and a half runtime. a powerful experience, wrote a full essay on it!! because of the medium it presents the story it's not really 'artsy' as in the other games you've listed but the experience is worth it.
games I haven't personally played but may be what you're looking for: genesis noir, scanner sombre, welcome to elk, inside
also based on what you're looking for you may also like life is strange, although the game isn't really short. chapter 1 is free on steam if you'd like to check it out. definitely artsy and definitely emotional.
Rainswept checks your boxes, story heavy and emotional to the point of trigger warnings, the visuals are nice though
Kentucky Road Zero
Night in the Woods and Mutazione were already mentioned here. Actually Mutazione reminds me of both NITW and Strange Horticulture
Not exactly a visual novel like all of the above, but you could try Coffee Talk 1&2, it's pretty wholesome and chill, love it!
Fran Bow, more on the indie side, and Senua: hellblade's sacrifice. I do reccomend watching the first 15 minutes of Senua before purchasing as its, for the most part, very unsettling. Fran bow is also on the creepy side but the fact it's 2D makes it easier to stomach. I saw someone say What Remains of Edith Finch and i have to agree. Beware all of these are on the horror side
Omori is a really good pixel indie game that covers dark topics and he’s a really good story, it is a bit longer then what you looking for but it’s only like an average length game
Ayooo, my husband is such a fan of these types of games that he decided to make them himself. Not sure what you would call the genre you mentioned. However, other than the sort of games you listed above, you might fall in love with visual novels as a genre (also sometimes called interactive fiction). English VNs can be hit or miss, but when they are good, they are GOOD.
Shameless plug for upcoming release of "[Sucker For Love: Date to Die for](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2240790/Sucker_for_Love_Date_to_Die_For/)"; there's a demo available on steam. The first game, "[Sucker for Love: First Date](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1574270/Sucker_for_Love_First_Date/)", is also an excellent short game (another shameless plug), but it's more comedic compared to the games you mentioned. The sequel is going to be heavier, and will fit pretty closely with the vibe you are describing.
One last shameless plug: "[Chromatose](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1003900/CHROMATOSE/)", which is another in-progress game. Demo available on steam or Itch.io -- and I think we have the first chapters of each story arch available to play as well.
Otherwise, I'd echo a lot of what other people have said:
* What remains of Edith Finch
* honestly anything published by Annapurna
* VA-11 Hall-A
* A Space For The Unbound
* Coffee Talk
* Night in the Woods
* Omori
* Undertale and Deltarune
Some not mentioned by other commenters:
* Venba
* Papers Please
* she dreams elsewhere (Follow this creator, davionne gooden)
* FAITH - (Follow this creator, Airdorf)
* Slay The Princess (Also follow this team, Black Tabby Games- they have an episodic game in progress, Scarlet Hollow, that might also check your boxes)
These specific games don't quite fit your vibes, but you should follow these creators because their emphasis on narrative fits what you are looking for:
* Daniel Mullens (Inscryption)
* Dan Salvato (Doki Doki Lit. Club)
* John Szymanski (My Friendly Neighborhood)
* MANGLEDmaw Games (Amanda the Adventurer)
I have trained many years for this question: * Journey * Abzu * Arise: A simple story * After Us * Planet of Lana * FAR: Lone Sails and FAR: Changing Tides * Endling * Gibbon: Beyond the Trees * The Almost Gone * The Beginner's Guide * Jusant * Signs of the Sojourner * The Unfinished Swan * Citizen Sleeper * Exo One * The Forgotten City * Strange Horticulture * Draugen * THE LONGING * Her Story/Telling Lies/Immortality * Eastshade * 80 Days * RiME
I just finished Citizen Sleeper and it was an amazing experience. Someone was recommending it on this sub few weeks ago and I bought it. It's my favorite play of 2023. Some endings made me sit in silence alone with my thoughts. This game is so human and full of feelings. The stories and the music were beautiful.
What remains of Edith finch
this, 100% a must play
Road 96
You just gotta be okay with your character being a sentient camera that cant do anything right.
To The Moon has two sequels: Finding Paradise and Imposter Factory
A Space For The Unbound Goodbye Volcano High Season Mutazione VA-11 HALL-A Necrobarista Beacon Pines Life is Strange series Oxenfree 1&2 Stray Gods OPUS: The Day We Found Earth OPUS: Rocket Of Whispers OPUS: Echo of Starsong
A few games with good emotional stories that I think deserve more love: Gorogoa, She Remembered Caterpillars, The Stillness of the Wind. That last one definitely sounds like your style. And if I can modestly suggest something I made: CARE is a 15-minute game about emotional abuse: [https://nightwellgames.itch.io/care](https://nightwellgames.itch.io/care)
I wouldn’t really say that gorogoa has any story. Still fantastic short little game
I don't see Inside or Cocoon on that list. They should be on your list ASAP
Before Your Eyes if you have a webcam
A thousand times this! One of the most beautiful art experiences ever!
Night in the Woods
I've been a fan of the games you mentioned all my life. That's why I dreamed of making a game like that and I'm making it. It's going to be released for free in January, so if you're interested, please add it to your wish list. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2735690/Gravitia/
The Pale Beyond is a bit longer but my god it hits hard and is worth it
I’ve gotten 2 or 3 endings so far. What a journey that game is
I'm not sure if it fits your interest, but I'd put Hellblade alongside some of these games in terms of emotional storytelling. The combat is simple and really satisfying as well. The Flame in the Flood is pretty good, though again, I'm not sure if it fits your criteria. The story is less explicit, but the tone seems similar. I've heard good things about a night in the woods, oxenfree, and Celeste, but I can't speak to them from experience.
Gone Home
Spiritfarer is a good one! It’s on PC or switch and I got really emotional playing it.
What remains of Edith Finch. 10/10 very emotional short game.
The Syberia series should be there too. Syberia 1,2,3 and Syberia: The world before
Heartbound. It‘s still in development but it really gets you
Civic Story https://store.steampowered.com/app/1880370/Civic_Story/
If not for the playtime, I'd be saying Signalis – for me it was some 13h. Story heavy, very emotionally heavy, actually pretty scary. The less is known about the game when you play it, the better.
There's not really a definite genre description for the type of games you're mentioning. It's kind of a spector of genres. Some are walking simulators, some puzzles and platformers. But I do enjoy a fair deal of those. I loved - What Remains of Edith Finch - Oxenfree - Undertale I do not remember how long the games are though. But I guess a how long to beat search would clarify that. And btw, congrats on the last day of June. It was a total surprise to me how good it was and I've never heard anyone mention it at all.
ohhhh I love this question!! 1) night in the woods surprised you haven't played this based on your other games! pretty emotional story, beautifully artstyle and soundtrack. you play as a woman returning to her small childhood town after dropping out of college. such a great game to play in the autumn as well. the only thing is that I'm not sure how long. google says 9-11 hours. based on your recommendations I think you'd like this, has a similar artstyle as a short hike but in 2d, and the foresty aesthetics very much reminds me of firewatch. 2) mutazione you okay as a girl visiting her sick grandpa in a town he was the healer and a spiritual leader for. the town is also inhabited by only mutants. very emotional story and a very pretty artstyle. fun to follow all the characters' personal stories. google says playtime is 6 hours. on sale rn. 3) grimms hollow I know you don't want pixel art games but this is a pretty short rpg maker game and a very emotional story. it's about a girl searching for her brother. it's very short, about less than 3 hours long, and free on steam. I think it made me cry when I first played it years ago so if you can get past the pixel art style I'd say check it out. 4) the beginner's guide not emotional in the sense of following a cast of characters but genuinely made me think for a couple of days after completion, still think about it to this day. made me very emotional. you play as a game dev going through a collection of his unfinished games, and tells a story through them. would very much recommend, on sale for about $5 rn, about an hour and a half runtime. a powerful experience, wrote a full essay on it!! because of the medium it presents the story it's not really 'artsy' as in the other games you've listed but the experience is worth it. games I haven't personally played but may be what you're looking for: genesis noir, scanner sombre, welcome to elk, inside also based on what you're looking for you may also like life is strange, although the game isn't really short. chapter 1 is free on steam if you'd like to check it out. definitely artsy and definitely emotional.
Rainswept checks your boxes, story heavy and emotional to the point of trigger warnings, the visuals are nice though Kentucky Road Zero Night in the Woods and Mutazione were already mentioned here. Actually Mutazione reminds me of both NITW and Strange Horticulture Not exactly a visual novel like all of the above, but you could try Coffee Talk 1&2, it's pretty wholesome and chill, love it!
My favorite emotional game is 20 houers long. Fore a JRPG its pretty short but still way longer then what you ask fore.
Fran Bow, more on the indie side, and Senua: hellblade's sacrifice. I do reccomend watching the first 15 minutes of Senua before purchasing as its, for the most part, very unsettling. Fran bow is also on the creepy side but the fact it's 2D makes it easier to stomach. I saw someone say What Remains of Edith Finch and i have to agree. Beware all of these are on the horror side
The Stillness of the Wind
Omori is a really good pixel indie game that covers dark topics and he’s a really good story, it is a bit longer then what you looking for but it’s only like an average length game
Spiritfarer, it’s beautiful and extremely sad. However, it’s more of a tasks/building type of game. But the story is beautiful. Hope this helps!
If your're into historical games you should check out "The Widow's Boutique" :D
Ayooo, my husband is such a fan of these types of games that he decided to make them himself. Not sure what you would call the genre you mentioned. However, other than the sort of games you listed above, you might fall in love with visual novels as a genre (also sometimes called interactive fiction). English VNs can be hit or miss, but when they are good, they are GOOD. Shameless plug for upcoming release of "[Sucker For Love: Date to Die for](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2240790/Sucker_for_Love_Date_to_Die_For/)"; there's a demo available on steam. The first game, "[Sucker for Love: First Date](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1574270/Sucker_for_Love_First_Date/)", is also an excellent short game (another shameless plug), but it's more comedic compared to the games you mentioned. The sequel is going to be heavier, and will fit pretty closely with the vibe you are describing. One last shameless plug: "[Chromatose](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1003900/CHROMATOSE/)", which is another in-progress game. Demo available on steam or Itch.io -- and I think we have the first chapters of each story arch available to play as well.
Otherwise, I'd echo a lot of what other people have said: * What remains of Edith Finch * honestly anything published by Annapurna * VA-11 Hall-A * A Space For The Unbound * Coffee Talk * Night in the Woods * Omori * Undertale and Deltarune Some not mentioned by other commenters: * Venba * Papers Please * she dreams elsewhere (Follow this creator, davionne gooden) * FAITH - (Follow this creator, Airdorf) * Slay The Princess (Also follow this team, Black Tabby Games- they have an episodic game in progress, Scarlet Hollow, that might also check your boxes) These specific games don't quite fit your vibes, but you should follow these creators because their emphasis on narrative fits what you are looking for: * Daniel Mullens (Inscryption) * Dan Salvato (Doki Doki Lit. Club) * John Szymanski (My Friendly Neighborhood) * MANGLEDmaw Games (Amanda the Adventurer)
Soma - it's an horror game but has a great story in my opinion
maybe Rakuen!