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With games like Stray being a massive hit and the upcoming God of War: Ragnarok promising an emotional end to the Last Spartan’s story, video games prove time and time again how effective they are at making players cry. The intimacy of video games makes the emotions hit that much harder.
Video games making people cry would be seen as an absurdity back in the 90s, but that hasn’t been true for a long time. Video games, like any other art form, pull emotions out of people through their stories, gameplay, and music. There’s no denying the creative freedom that video games can enable.
This article contains themes of disease, alcoholism, suicide, and depression.
To The Moon
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To The Moon is an indie adventure game set in the not-so-far future. Dr. Eva Rosalen and Dr. Neil Watts are researchers at Sigmund Corporation, a company that specializes in rewriting memories for dying people, so they can die happy. The game focuses on one patient whose goal is to go to the moon.
There is no need for spoilers here because the premise alone speaks for itself. Few things are sadder than looking back at your past. Memories are one of the most valuable things a person can have. To The Moon tackles this concept of “false memories” with tact and emotional maturity, along with a powerful narrative. u/Icefox2k summarizes it simply by saying “To the Moon, I happily rate it as my favorite game of all time.”
LISA
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LISA is a trilogy of stories that are best described as a black comedy video game interspersed with existential family drama. The first game is a psychological trip into the mind of the titular Lisa, while the sequels follow two of her family members in a post-apocalypse where there are no more women.
LISA is a very intense story, both in its comedy and drama. It revels in the absurdity of its world but never downplays how terribly the characters are affected by the events of the game. The game itself hates the player, and it's intentionally difficult and obtuse to get through. A Redditor adores the game despite that, saying “I can honestly say this was one of the funniest, most surreal, brutal, and downright amazing games I've played in a while”.
The Cat Lady
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The Cat Lady is a side-scrolling adventure horror game that follows a lonely old woman who, unfortunately, commits suicide. When she awakens in the Afterworld, however, a maggot-ridden goddess offers her immortality, under one condition: she must destroy the parasites that hurt her and others.
It’s a very unsubtle game about how difficult it can be to deal with depression. That bluntness is part of the game’s intense energy, and the surreal visuals add to that effect. Yet, much like in reality, there’s always hope, even at the lowest rungs of Hell. u/von_Crack_Sparrow sums up the game by saying “It is a life-asserting game that lays on the suicide theme really thick. However, while it does everything to try and shock, ultimately it is an escape from darkness.”
That Dragon, Cancer
That Dragon, Cancer is an artistic video game created by couple Ryan and Amy Green. The game is an autobiography of the couple as they raise their son Joel, who was diagnosed with cancer at twelve months old. That Dragon, Cancer does not hold back on the harrowing emotions that the parents went through raising a child with cancer.
That Dragon, Cancer is not a heartwarming tale of recovery. The game features actual recordings of the family as they go through life, all the good times, and the bad. It’s a personal tale that really can’t be captured by any other art form except video games. u/ImpureAscetic passionately describes the game, “This guy lost his kid to that dragon, cancer. So he made That Dragon, Cancer. He did what artists do: he did his damnedest to distill his feelings through the medium he felt would best resonate with his experience and vision”
Omori
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Omori is a psychological drama/horror game following Omori, a boy who lives in a massive white void he calls the White Space. Eternally depressed, Omori spends most of his time listlessly playing video games, crying, or sleeping. One day, he decides to break this cycle and finds friends in the outside world. Unfortunately, things take a dark turn rather quickly.
Omori, much like its fellow indie darlings Undertale and LISA, was inspired by Earthbound. All three games have a whimsical aesthetic that belies an incredibly dark story about family trauma. Omori’s visual style is perhaps the most ambitious, featuring a much more involved visual style close to Omocat’s style. u/nettua, when asked if Omori is worth getting, replies “Omori is my favorite game of all time of course I'm gonna recommend it!”
The Walking Dead Season 1
While The Walking Dead franchise has fallen on harder times as of late, with bloated storylines and audience fatigue playing a huge part in its downfall, there was a time when everything the property touched was gold. This included the critically acclaimed Telltale game, The Walking Dead Season 1. It follows the story of Lee, a man who was on his way to prison when the dead suddenly came to life.
After rescuing a little girl named Clementine, they both join up with a group of survivors dealing with the horrors of a post-walker world. Much like the comic series, it came from, the game does not hold back on the horrors of the post-apocalypse, and hard decisions are everywhere. u/bucklau tearfully states “It’s an unforgettable gaming experience. I don't remember the last time I straight up sobbed before playing this episode”
Undertale
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Undertale is a seemingly straightforward adventure fantasy RPG until it pulls the rug out from the player with its oddball charm and surprisingly dark themes. Undertale follows the story of a young boy who falls into The Underground, the place where monsters dwell. It’s up to the player whether they will fight or befriend the many monsters they meet along the way.
Undertale is a mostly funny game with amazing humor, fun bullet-hell gameplay, and awesome music. As the player closes in on the end of whatever route they’re on, however, the game starts to tug at the heartstrings, and genocide route or note, people are going to feel some heavy stuff. u/Don_Pasquale matter-of-factly says “From the well-written and hilarious dialogue and fantastic characters to the simple but still engaging gameplay to the mild intrigue of the plot, there honestly was not a single complaint I had with the game.”
SOMA
SOMA is a sci-fi psychological horror game set in the deepest recesses of the ocean floor. A man from Canada agrees to have his brain scanned, only to find himself waking up centuries later, to a doomed Earth. The facility he is in is teeming with body horror, and remnants of the scientists who tried (and failed) to save the planet.
Now, he’s alone and must find a way up to the surface. SOMA is a terrifyingly bleak game that nonetheless retains a very human story at its center. The fear of being alone at the end of it all. u/ Katamariguy praises the game by saying “I think SOMA is a wonderful gateway game into the world of literary SF. The game heavily takes after authors like Philip K Dick and Greg Egan, who come highly recommended.”
The Outer Wilds
The Outer Wilds is a sci-fi space exploration game that follows a young archaeologist looking to make a name for themselves in the Solar System. A few hours into their first expedition, however, the sun explodes, destroying all life around it. The archaeologist wakes up to find the day has repeated itself, only he retains the knowledge of his previous expeditions.
Now, they must find a way to stop this apocalypse by uncovering the secrets left behind by their ancestral race. The Outer Wilds revels in its mysteries, and the answers are unexpectedly depressing. Not only that, the very premise evokes a certain existential dread, one that i/DepressedHero supports by saying “It's literally my favorite game of all time. It actually helped me in a time I really needed..”
Before Your Eyes
Before Your Eyes is one of the most unique games to come out in recent years. The game is based on the premise of a soul who must relive their entire life to see if they’re worthy of moving to the Great Beyond. They do so through the player’s blinks. Whenever the player blinks at certain points, their life progresses.
Through this, the player experiences the turmoils of a very interesting person’s life, and the secrets they hold close to their heart. It’s a fantastic game that makes full use of its unique blinking mechanic and is a great example of how creative games are as an art form. u/Leareas shows their surprise by saying “I definitely didn't sign the permission slip for the feels trip, but I am glad I went on it.”