I used to hate to cry. Now, some of the saddest stories of all time top my list of favorites. Life is strange that way.
Whether you’re looking for something cathartic or simply a game that will make you feel something—anything—there’s something special about indie game storytelling that can deliver the waterworks in poignant, sometimes surprising ways. Here are a few of my favorite indie games that will definitely make you cry (assuming you’re not Cameron Diaz in The Holiday).
The Top 3 Indie Games That Will Make You Cry
These three titles are, in my experience, the crème de la crème of emotionally overwhelming indie games.
1. ‘Ori and the Blind Forest’ by Moon Studios
This game holds the world record in terms of how quickly it made me cry—within the first five minutes this little heartbreaker had me bawling. If you’re the kind of person who gets way too attached to nonhuman characters, particularly animals, way too quickly, brace yourself. This game is beautiful and treacherously difficult (I, admittedly, watched someone else finish it for me because I have limited time… and patience), but the emotions it evokes are what make it memorable.
2. ‘Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice’ by Ninja Theory
One of my favorite games of all time, this is also one of the hardest-hitting for me. Mental health is a topic very near and dear to my heart, and I don’t know that any game has tackled difficult themes like psychosis, grief, and social isolation with more empathy or elegance than Hellblade does. If you’re a fan of Norse or Celtic mythology, you’ll enjoy it even more. But when the journey is over and the credits begin to roll, just be sure to have tissues handy.
3. ‘To The Moon’ by Freebird Games
I’ll be honest with you. I have no nostalgia, nor any particular affection, for 16-bit graphics or 2D RPGs. I love me a pretty, pretty game, and retro-style pixelation just doesn’t do it for me. So when a friend of mine forced me to try out To The Moon years ago, I was skeptical. By the end of the game, I was a blubbering mess. It is a gentle experience (there’s exactly one battle in the entire game, and it’s a parody) and the plot is in no hurry to rush to its conclusion. But once you get there, you’ll see why it’s at the top of many a list of sad video games—indie or otherwise.
More Sad Indie Games to Add to Your Wishlist
If you’re a glutton for punishment—or if you’ve already sobbed your way through those first three games, as many people have by now—here are seven more indie games that will probably bring a few tears to your eyes.
- Gris by Devolver Digital → the art of recovering from grief and depression, literally
- This War of Mine by 11 bit studios→ the horrors of war and life as a refugee, and it’s all your fault
- Soma by Frictional Games → a two for one deal: terrifying and tragic
- Life is Strange by Dontnod Entertainment → whether or not you consider this a ‘real’ indie game, expect to make a few heartbreaking mistakes you won’t forget anytime soon
- Journey by thatgamecompany → a sad cry, but then a happy cry, because it’s so ridiculously beautiful
- Yomawari: Night Alone by Nippon Ichi Software → animal lovers, don some serious emotional armor before you hit “start”
- Last Day of June by Ovosonico → a game about grief inspired by the equally sad song “Drive Home” by Steve Wilson
If that’s still not enough, may I take a vain moment to offer up a few games of my own? One of the central themes of The Harbinger’s Head is the inevitability of death, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the story strikes a few sad notes. The Dragon’s Last Flight, meanwhile, will explore the different ways in which we face mortality and will have more tragic endings than happy ones—several of which made me cry when I wrote them.
Why Play Video Games That Make You Cry?
“Sad” and “games” aren’t exactly two concepts that seem to naturally pair. But if you feel odd about purposely seeking out a little tragedy in your gaming life—don’t. I get it. A lot of other people do, too.
Video games are about more than just fun. And whether they’re AAA or indie, games that make you cry are just as important as games that make you laugh or cheer or dream. Games help us face our fears, and for many of us, heartbreak is a very real, and very natural, source of anxiety.
Maybe you’re afraid of losing a loved one (even a fictional one), ruining a relationship, or disappointing someone who depends on you. Loss, death, suffering—all things we wish we could avoid, but sadly cannot—are easier to face, to process, and to accept (or in some cases, overcome) in a virtual world. If nothing else, it’s all good practice for dealing with the inevitable future—or moving beyond an unchangeable past.
Laughter may be the best medicine, but sometimes what we truly need to get through a difficult time is a solid sob session. To seize an obvious opportunity to quote The Lord of the Rings (an opportunity I rarely consent to overlook), “Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.”
Kim Berkley is a fantasy author and narrative designer who looks forward to the day when she, too, can make you cry with her games and stories. Read the first chapter of The Harbinger’s Head, or play the demo for The Dragon’s Last Flight, for free right now (or whenever you like).
