I know I talk a lot about crying over video games, but it’s only because it’s true.
I’ve always found myself getting overly emotional about certain video games. For a game to have the ability to trigger something in my psyche that makes me blubber like a baby, that’s truly something else.
There are quite a few that have had this effect on me. I would say the games that stick out the most would be:
- Undertale – There’s a reason why this is one of my favourite games of all time. The characters in Undertale very quickly grow on you, especially if you do the True Pacifist route first as I did. Making the world right for these monsters who are also my besties made me emotional, and attempting to do a Genocide route later proved difficult when I encountered the consequences of my actions: the characters being horrifically sad and scarred by my actions. Even listening to the music makes me emotional.
- Spiritfarer – OOF. This game hurt (in a good way). Spiritfarer is undeniably a beautiful story about helping others move on, and similarly to Undertale it makes you care about the characters that come on your boat. I cried very early on in this game and continued to do so every time I helped a new spirit.
- Journey – This one was a tearful experience that I couldn’t even understand at that moment. I was weeping while the credits rolled and remember saying out loud, “I don’t know why I’m crying right now”. Journey is an undeniably beautiful game for many reasons, and is another one where I still get emotional listening to the soundtrack. Honking away to my mystery co-op partner to the very end… Sorry, thinking about it now is once again making me feel wistful.
I’m not one to think that my experiences are entirely unique, as there are over 7 billion people on planet Earth so surely someone has felt things the way I have. In saying that, I decided to go on the internet (as one does) and ask the Twitter public about what games left their mark on them, made them feel something, made them cry, or just left them thinking about it long after they were done.
As we know, I did a little something like this not too long ago, asking people what games they have the most playtime in. This post, on the other hand, comes from personal curiosity. While I love writing about video games, what I love even more is listening to others talk about their experiences with video games.
Different forms of media can have an effect on us in different ways, but video games feel a little bit different to me as the experience is interactive, so in a way you’re acting out the main characters’ possibly emotional experience, leading it to make you feel a similar way. I think it’s beautiful.
So it turns out, a fuckload of people cry over video games. I got a LOT of responses, so here are a few of them. You can check out all the responses here.
Its been eight years since I played Valiant Hearts: The Great War, and every now and then I am crushed by the memory of it.
— David Smith (@RhunWords) August 1, 2022
Answer to every question is Outer Wilds.
— Mark Serrels (@Serrels) August 1, 2022
assassins creed black flag i will be taking no further questions
— Luke Plunkett (@LukePlunkett) August 1, 2022
The entire Danganronpa series has taken up permanent lodgings inside my head. The third/final game wasn’t my favourite and had a janky ending but I still feel sad, confused and overwhelmed by the outcome.
— リノ (@rinoaskyes) August 1, 2022
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon got me GOOD. I was an emotional mess the moment I saw my partner Pikachu crying over my disappearance 🥺 They didn’t have to go so hard on the feels.
— Isabella Noyes 🦋 (@belnoyeswriter) August 2, 2022
Inside. I finished that in one sitting on a rainy afternoon and sat looking at the final screen long after it was over, tears in my eyes
— liam™ (@muchliam_) August 1, 2022
this moment from The Beginners Guide definitely made me cry and has remained very important to me. it’s a motto I’ve carried in my life pic.twitter.com/DdyestUhkN
— sleepy (@sleepy_nice) August 1, 2022
Spec ops:The line. I still think about the white phosphorus scene often and am horrified whenever I hear it being used in wars.
— scree (@scree06) August 2, 2022
Spider-Man PS4s ending made me ugly cry in my living room followed by an immediate hit of bimbo desire when I went straight into the black cat sequel dlc.
— Dylan Bishop (@iamdylanbishop) August 1, 2022
Life is Strange: True Colours already hit hard but add the lockdown on top of that and I was a mess
— Lauren Rouse (@LRouse19) August 2, 2022
Not cry but just supremely depressed. The Last of Us 2 was a great story of someone losing everything because they couldn’t let go of their hatred. Amazing.
— Dr. Ryan (@dr_ryan) August 2, 2022
Celeste. Finished it and sat with it for months. Drunkenly yelled at friends to play it. Still bring it up to people.
— Dan Crowd (@itsdancrowd) August 1, 2022
Probably a cliche answer but Walking Dead S1. Easily the most invested in + devastated by narrative choices I’ve ever been, and I’m not even huge on zombie horror/survival drama, let alone TWD the franchise
— dale bastion (@DaleBastion) August 1, 2022
The first Kingdom Hearts game – and many of the other games from that series.
But the final moment from that game where Sora & Kairi get separated again and he promises to come and find her :’)
— Radio Mike (@itsradiomike) August 1, 2022
That was Rime for me. Made me an emotional wreck. I cry every time I play that game and when I do play, I feel emotions I’ve never really felt before and I don’t know why.
— Aliesha (@liessshy) August 1, 2022
Environmentally, the heart shaped lake in BOTW ruined me. I don’t play that game much anymore, but every now and the. I’ll load it up and slowly make my way without any fast travelling to the lake and just sit there for a bit and reflect. Has enormous sentimental value to me.
— wolfjay (@wo1fjay) August 1, 2022
Beyond Good & Evil
It has a gorgeous world and family of outcast characters to fall in love with. There are consequences to your actions in the story that damage both you and them.
Things do resolve but characters are changed and it leaves on an introspective but hopeful note.
— We Made a Thing 🔜 Gamescom (@wemadeathingtv) August 1, 2022
I’ll never stop preaching the word of Mutazione, it did such a stellar job at endearing me to its setting and characters, so saying goodbye to that world when the credits came hurt my soul.
Also there are pinpoint moments in Sayonara Wild Hearts that live in my head rent free.
— Kieron Verbrugge (@hash_braun) August 1, 2022
Everything makes me cry but probably Brothers A Tale of Two Sons, super powerful game, clever mechanics that have real payoff
— Jess McDonell (@JessMcDonell) August 2, 2022
Shed massive gamer tears in Before Your Eyes. Like had to pause the game for a little sook 😭
— ClassicMiddleton (@ChrisLMiddleton) August 2, 2022
literally heart wrenching pic.twitter.com/2eJVaN6iuu
— your future favorite regret (@punchthegoose) August 2, 2022
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Ruinously sad reveal at the end.
— Cherished Rapscallion (@16Tacos) August 1, 2022
1) Fall Out New Vegas – when you play The Lonesome Road as the last of the DLC
2) The Witcher 3 when you finish Blood and Wine, I cried so much because no matter what choices you make somebody shows up to Geralts place 😭😭😭— princess gia 💕 (@Giajamesxox) August 1, 2022
Eastshade got me real good. Small open world game where you paint and do errands for animal folk instead of combat. Ideas like community, the passage of time, love and art are played with and the final minutes still make my chest tight.
— James W. 🏳️🌈 (@OmgMoreJames) August 1, 2022
Planescape: Torment didn’t make me cry, but did make me thoughtful: the sad and seemingly inescapable nature of the endings, the planes, your friends’ courage at the end…
The game I wept over, though? Planetfall. And now I will find an ice floe.
— Isabel Cooper (@ICooperAuthor) August 2, 2022
Gone Home is probably the one that has kept me thinking about longest after I played it. Finished it in one sitting about 8 years ago, never played it again, but it still jumps back into my mind occasionally, and I tend to forget game details very quickly.
— Alex Dullard (@alexdullard) August 1, 2022
Celeste. I love platformers and pixel art but was not ready for the impact and themes of the story. The soundtrack was brillant and helped amplify every feeling. I was going through a tough time around then and that game was almost like therapy. I felt “seen” & wasn’t alone pic.twitter.com/874eAOoGOH
— Buddy Watson (@BuddyWatson12) August 1, 2022
I’m the first to mention Disco Elysium???????
— extra fungible (@interestingdan) August 2, 2022
The Gardens Between – especially with the @timshiel soundtrack
— Anatole (@anatolemusic) August 2, 2022
I also came here to say Undertale. Like a ton of bricks.
— Kev Likes Games (@TheLudologist) August 2, 2022
this is an easy one but Spec Ops: The Line. being asked “does killing people make you feel good or something” during the loading screen makes you think a bit
— Tom Cruise IS Vincent Collateral 💉💉 💉 (@simonlayne) August 1, 2022
Journey made me cry like a baby.
I may have been projecting a bit because my uncle, who I was close to, was dying from cancer when I played it. The ending was kind of like seeing him off.
— Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Enthusiast (@UnbearableDutch) August 1, 2022
Now I’m thinking about the FAQ where they said characters who aren’t easy to love still need to find peace, and it’s your job to help them anyway
— Tyler Petty (@TylerJPetty) August 2, 2022
What Remains of Edith Finch really shook me. Loved it.
— James O’Connor (@Jickle) August 2, 2022
That Dragon, Cancer. There are a couple of sevens in particular that just break you, particularly one which is basically the calm after the storm and you sit there in silence and I just bawled for like 5 min
— Joshua Apter (@Aptermus) August 2, 2022
I think it is gentler games for me… Spiritfarer or A Short Hike. Games that give you the time to just sit and reflect on the actions you took, or fly through the air after calling your mum.
— Robbie Nicol (@RobbieNicol) August 1, 2022
The big finale of Ghost Trick fucked me up. Surprisingly beautiful game!
— LEVINS (@levinsonline) August 2, 2022
The Last Guardian. I got so attached to Trico that I started crying uncontrollably when I realised I had to send him away at the end. So much so I almost missed the epilogue that was hopeful.
I then just sat in the shower for an hour, staring at nothing.
— .\ussiemuser (@aussiemuser) August 2, 2022
And now, I turn it over to you folks. Reading your experiences with the games that you play in the comments over the past few months has been awesome, and I value it more than you know.
I’d love to know now: What video game stuck with you? Made you feel something? Maybe even made you cry? Let me know!
Leave a Reply