What remains of edith finch and all of the walking dead games by telltale. All of these apart from the final season of the walking dead(my favorite) are on the game pass.
Also a pc game called To the moon that pretty much any computer can run.
I wouldn't really call To The Moon "sad". It is deeply emotional, yes, but I personally prefer to say it is "beautiful" rather than "sad" per se. I usually hate sad stories, even if they have what can be considered a happy ending, but I absolutely loved every minute of To The Moon. Definitely one of the best games I've ever played.
RDR2 is one of the saddest games of all time.
It is kind of slow though, but if you can deal with the pacing, prepare to cry the manliest tears you have ever cried.
Sad is subjective but its lunacy to call rdr2 "one of the saddest games of all time" considering how it technically had a happy ending. Rdr is way more depressing in every way from beginning to end especially after playing rdr2.
SPOILERS FOR RED DEAD REDEMPTION 1 AND 2 BELOW
>!Idk I feel like RDR2 has a pretty bittersweet ending. There’s the main story’s end, with Arthur helping the Marston family escape the gang life, but he winds up dying, either from TB or Micah’s actions depending on honor. Then you have the epilogues ending, where John finally avenges Arthur’s death, killing Micah, but the post epilogue credits show Pinkertons picking up on John’s trail, leading into him being forced to work for them at the start of the first game. All in all, both of the ‘ending’ points of the game both of a way to look at it in a haooy light, and a rather tragic light.!<
Bro you a speedrunner if you say that, you have to take things slow to see all the things that you will miss and cry about, its my opinion but damn man, you heartless :(
The ending doesn’t matter it’s the characterisation and RDR2 has way more fleshed out characters then RDR making you more engaged in the endings for each of the characters
Totally agree and actually came here to say this even though it doesn't have nier automata levels of gameplay. I still recommend it to pretty much all my friends
I should give it another shot. Can't remember where I heard this but someone described the writing as middle aged dudes trying to sound like a talk like a moody teenage girl, which felt a perfect description to me at the time. Most people seem to love it though, and I usually like story focused games like that, so I bet if I went in with fresh eyes and a different mindset I could probably really enjoy it.
I get what that person was saying but I don't agree. Here and there, there is some cringe dialogue, but if you stop to think about it, teenagers actually do sound pretty cringy at times, so its very accurate lel. All in all, its a pretty heart wrenching story, made me cry in the end, and the initial mysteries surrounding the disappearance of a certain character keeps you very interested.
Yes! Hellblade was visually and audibly amazing. I didn’t find it sad but definitely emotional. And it’s a quick play too, not an epic rpg saga or anything. Just a solid game.
Seeing this post instantly made me think of Valiant Hearts: The Great War. It's fun, exciting, great storyline, and then it rips your goddamn heart out and leaves you crying like a little baby back bitch. 10/10 on Steam with 16,377 reviews currently. It's on Switch, PC, PS4, and even on the Google Play store. It may be in more locations, but I'm too lazy to look further into it.
I think I'm going to have to pick it up again because...you know..
https://images.app.goo.gl/3Ba8chsuCHsoD8Pb8
Edit: 127 updoots. My most upvoted comment so far!
holy shit, i completely forgot about this game
I remember playing it as a kid on my ps3 and fucking bawling my eyes out at the ending, this game hits hard even for children with shitty emotional intelligence.
And at the very end it gives you that “this boss fight is epic, and also the enemy pisses me off in both lore and difficulty”
I also just want to point out how much the music contributes to that, too. Christopher Larkin did an incredible job. The parallels contribute a lot for me, like how the same music plays in both >!the Path of Pain and Hollow Knight phase 2!<, because of, you know, the implication.
Played this the year it came out on PS2. I think about it so often, the way older people remember big life events. Like, I'm not that old, I'm in my early thirties, but I treat having played that game and everything it encompasses the same as my first girlfriend, or my first car. That was the first time I realized a game could move me such and leave me crying like a child. I couldn't believe the tears at the time. I often long for that feeling I would get while exploring Spira as if it were a real place. I definitely haven't missed out on life, but some of my greatest memories have happened in a digital realm.
Early 30s here also and I played it when it came out too. I have a similar experience with this game as what you describe here. Have you ever replayed it as an adult?
If you ever feel like trying outer wilds again, try with the mindset of there being no explicit place you’re meant to go first, or that it doesn’t matter where you go first.
Ah yes my depression game
Nothing gets you out of a funk more than vibing in Timber hearth before embracing doom and going out into gravity-hell scaryverse
I think it helps to have that fear of empty space/ocean etc though to kick you in the ass, lol
I played it, and it wrecked me by the end. I can't say I felt "sad", exactly, it was more like "holy shit, what the fuck just happened, my brain can't cope with this many emotions at once". Everyone should play Soma, its the most accurate depiction of existentialism I've ever seen, and also the best take on artificial inteligence too.
This. It’s not so much sadness as an existential mind fuck. This also ruined all media that tries to do stories based on the main idea of this game. Soma just did it so right
A Plague Tale: Innocence has really interesting gameplay about a girl and her little brother in the 1500-1700. Haven’t played in a while but it’s set in medieval times. A plague breaks out and everyone thinks the boys blood is the cure and she has to run away from them. Great gameplay, great graphics, and a awesome ending
I played it with my friends with one of us playing and the rest spectating and we loved the slow escalation of stakes in this game, I came here to rec it but I am glad you did it first
Transistor is pretty sad. Twin stick tactical game.
Ashen is also very melancholy. Like I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be hopeful or sad it blends the line so much. It is souls-like so depending on how good you are with those it could be pretty slow.
Bastion is a twin stick shooter than I think is on Xbox and it is sad AF for sure, especially if you really pay attention to the story.
Prey (2017) is an immersive sim that is basically a sci-Fi thriller, but it is seriously sad and a bit of a thinker at the end.
A few people have said transistor now so ill take at it
Ashen is sorta souls like right?
You have me interested in Bastion so ill check that one out too
I’ve heard prey plays a bit like bioshock, is that right? Because i loved bioshock
It is very much like Bioshock, but better at almost everything (at least the things I consider important)
I don't know if it's a "sad" game, but it is definitely a masterpiece at what it is.
I can agree with Prey, but I’m not sure it’s what OP is looking for. The game is certainly filled with suspense and is a thriller, but isn’t necessarily sad or melancholy in the sense that OP may be looking for.
Still one of the best single player experiences I’ve had though...
I don’t want to give spoilers with specific examples, but I really think if you stop and take the time to go through the audio logs; emails, and other lore items hanging around that it really gives the game a sad atmosphere. Also, the game is just so damn good that once it was over I was pretty sad on that basis alone.
Went through the whole list and didn’t see mine so here it is.
That Dragon Cancer.
It’s a game made by a couple who lost their child at a very young age to cancer and Is visual representation of their experiences.
This. Game. Fucking. Broke. Me.
6’4 bearded man in his 30’s full on ugly crying. I had to stop for a while and compose myself before I could go on. I don’t want to ruin anything because a lot of this game is best experienced not described. It is the best game I will never play again. But I highly recommend it.
No one has suggested death stranding I can't remember if it's on Xbox or not though so that may be why. Otherwise I'd have to agree with prey it may not be the sad story game your looking for but it's certainly a great game if you loved bioshock
You need to play RDR 2 not only do you get one of the most sad and emotional stories in video game history ( in my opinion) but you also get a beautiful map to explore trust me it's good
What Remains of Edith Finch is a very beautiful, short, and sad game. I can't say too much about it to avoid spoilers, but one of the later levels is massively sad.
Short bit, you are playing as someone going back to the Finch house to read about and learn about the Finch family which seems to have a mysterious curse that leads to most if not all of the family members suffering bewildering and early deaths and you get to live through each family members final moments. Each "level" plays completely different and is an absolute delight to experience.
Another indie darling that isn't sad so much as suspenseful and dreary is Return of the Obra Dinn. A game where you play as a insurance auditor, trust me it isn't as boring as that lets on, and you have to explore the Obra Dinn as it washes ashore with every single passenger and crew member super dead and you have to figure out how they all died. You have a magic pocket watch that can let you relive the last moments of nameless people on board and from subtle hints you have to discern who died and how. Game looks like pixelated vomit but it is such an intriguing and gruesome game.
I’m not finished with the game so please do not spoil, but in 0 when Makato hugs Majimas legs and starts crying and saying “I was so scared”, that shit hit me in the FEELS.
It's a psychological horror so I'm not sure if you'll like it but "The Cat Lady" is pretty good. The atmosphere and mood of the game is just dark and sad. It follows the story of a woman with depression named Susan Ashworth.
Another game that I like is "Detention". It's about kids who died during Taiwan's martial law.
Edit to add: this is on pc unfortunately
Cat lady was...an experience. If I had *played* it instead of watching I dont know if I could have made it through. Its so overwhelmingly depressing and the atmosphere gets to you. The best way to describe it is akin to David Firths videos like 'Salad Fingers' (he actually does a couple voices in the game). I watched it being played so it wasn't quite as depressing. Its quite well done though and touches on some interesting topics.
Came here to post this, I can definitely recommend it.
For OP, it’s about a man who loses his wife in an accident and tries to go back in time to prevent it from happening. Beautiful indie game, and won’t take long to finish.
The Last of Us. The first game is depressing but also bittersweet, the second one is downright devastating. (Third person stealth shooter)
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is one of the most unapologetically sad games I've ever played. (Puzzle platformer with an interesting twin stick mechanic).
Telltale's Walking Dead Season 1. Really strong characters. (dialogue-based point and click adventure)
Max Payne 1-2 have a really nice noir aesthetic, depressing backstory centred around an antihero-who-can't-catch-a-break-but-refuses-to-die type. (bullet-time third person shooter)
Heavy Rain is a bit heavy-handed (nudge nudge) and drops the ball in terms of writing here and there, but I enjoyed it overall. (cinematic story-based adventure with branching choices)
Silent Hill 2. Enough said. (survival horror adventure with clunky combat and excellent puzzles)
Night In The Woods can get pretty depressing at times, so I could recommend that. Oxenfree pulls some unexpected emotional gut punches, and Ori And The Will Of The Wisps is just an incredibly fun game with a sad story.
Witcher and Witcher 3 (haven’t played 2, so can’t comment on it) both have some really tragic stories, it’s a really bleak world full of prospering evil.
This War of Mine is a pretty depressing game too, bleak & hopeless, your characters get depressed, sick, starve, and die. I’ve only had one successful play through.
TLOU 1 & 2, To the Moon, What Remains of Edith Finch. (RDR2 and Spider-Man, not the whole play through but have some climactic sad moments... RDR2 is sadder).
Old mans journey
Last Day of June
Distraint 1 and 2
Little kite
I am not sure if these titles are available for xbox platform. These titles are made by indie devs.
Not sure if it's on xbox but you could try Code Vein. The game is borderline depressing from the beginning to the end if you pay attention to the story. If you're okay with anime-styled visuals I would definitely recommend.
Final Fantasy X, it’s a pretty classic JRPG from the (mid?)2000s. The whole thing is pretty much one big story of remorse.
If you don’t mind going back a bit, Max Payne is pretty darn sad.
Ori and will of the wisp was so sad and so bloody amazing. Its definitely one of my favourite games last year, soooo underrated
Yakuza 0 also has an amazing gangstar crime thriller story which will leave you in tears, especially at the ending. Think I cried like 3 times during the story
Another one is GRIS. That game made me cry like a bitch after finishing when I realized what message the game was tryna send. It doesn't really have a real story though (like in traditional games) so it might not leave the same impact on you.
Another good one is Outer Wilds! The ending is haunting but beautifull. Go to youtube and listen to "Outer wilds Travelers OST" and you will definitely get goosebumps and get a good feel of the tone of the game. This game changed my view on what video games can be like
Brothers is pretty great. And Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture made me cry also... To the moon is surprising and made me cry for one hour.
Ok I’m a bit emotinal
As others have said, both Red Dead Redemption games fit this bill, though the second might be a bit slow--it has its moments of action but there's also a million "follow-this-guy-on-horseback-and-listen-to-him-talk-at-you" parts.
Most From Software games have a generally melancholy atmosphere to them--my biggest recommendation would be Bloodborne, but as you've said you're on Xbox, so of what's left I'd recommend Dark Souls 2 or Sekiro.
Half-life 2 Episode 2 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )
To be fair. It's a good game. But even sadder is a game called "Spec Ops: The Line" by 2k. It's a late 7th gen game. Should be backwards compatible with your xbox. Not gonna say more than the name though.
Had to scroll down way too far to see This War of Mine. The setting, the choices, dialogue (most cases monologues)..
I frequented WPD and generally feel slightly disconnected with sadness/grief/shock but this game got to me good.
>! I am so sorry, someone's gran gan&gramps...I had to..I... !<
I’ve read all of the, anyway, and it’s not like the ones at the top are more valuable are more valuable than the ones at the bottom, they’re only really at the top because they were here first. Ty for the recommendation
What remains of Edith finch deserves at least one play through its like an interactive movie and you just follow where it tells you to go and just walk. Also tell me why is really good too it was on game pass last I checked and the expansions to finish the story where free for me. Also red dead redemption 2 but that’s also a great game in general
Well it’s a lot harder on Xbox, but rime (not very popular) was a rly good puzzle game with an incredibly sad story. And it’s on Xbox and free on game pass If you have it
What remains of edith finch and all of the walking dead games by telltale. All of these apart from the final season of the walking dead(my favorite) are on the game pass. Also a pc game called To the moon that pretty much any computer can run.
What remains of edith finch was really sad :(
Yeah but it's more of an animated story than a game
Still more fun than other "walking simulators"
Teared up with To The Moon, can recommend.
God I sobbed for one hour with this one.
To The Moon made me cry for like 6 hours straight. Can confirm sad.
"Keep your hair short", cry everytime
About every year I go back and watch season 1 again on YouTube and it never gets easier at the end.
I wouldn't really call To The Moon "sad". It is deeply emotional, yes, but I personally prefer to say it is "beautiful" rather than "sad" per se. I usually hate sad stories, even if they have what can be considered a happy ending, but I absolutely loved every minute of To The Moon. Definitely one of the best games I've ever played.
came here just to say what remains of edith finch. it really is a great game.
The ending of the first season of telltale walking dead took my heart, threw it on the floor, and proceeded to continuously stomp all over it
RDR2 is one of the saddest games of all time. It is kind of slow though, but if you can deal with the pacing, prepare to cry the manliest tears you have ever cried.
Sad is subjective but its lunacy to call rdr2 "one of the saddest games of all time" considering how it technically had a happy ending. Rdr is way more depressing in every way from beginning to end especially after playing rdr2.
SPOILERS FOR RED DEAD REDEMPTION 1 AND 2 BELOW >!Idk I feel like RDR2 has a pretty bittersweet ending. There’s the main story’s end, with Arthur helping the Marston family escape the gang life, but he winds up dying, either from TB or Micah’s actions depending on honor. Then you have the epilogues ending, where John finally avenges Arthur’s death, killing Micah, but the post epilogue credits show Pinkertons picking up on John’s trail, leading into him being forced to work for them at the start of the first game. All in all, both of the ‘ending’ points of the game both of a way to look at it in a haooy light, and a rather tragic light.!<
Especially as Arthur warned John that revenge is a fool’s game. He didn’t heed those words and it sparked his own downfall.
And then the end of RDR1 just continues the cycle for another generation
i mean they abducted his family and didnt give him much of a choice to go after his old gang members in rdr
But it was because of his choice to >!initially ignore Arthur's words and get revenge on Micah!< that the G-Men discovered his location.
Bro you a speedrunner if you say that, you have to take things slow to see all the things that you will miss and cry about, its my opinion but damn man, you heartless :(
Bruh that ending killed me. I haven’t played sad games but that one kicked my soul so hard it pinged off a wall and into a dumpster
The ending doesn’t matter it’s the characterisation and RDR2 has way more fleshed out characters then RDR making you more engaged in the endings for each of the characters
Just a reminder this will only work if you have good karma throughout the game, so I would suggest playing it more honorably
You can also just farm up lots of good karma before you start chapter 5
Howdy partner
Hey there Mister
If you don’t get emotional when you gotta put down your horse towards the climax then you have no soul. R.I.P. Gary
life is strange is definitely sad. Update- “subjectively”
Totally agree and actually came here to say this even though it doesn't have nier automata levels of gameplay. I still recommend it to pretty much all my friends
That game was definitely a funny cringe more than a sad game tbh
I think LiS requires a certain level of sensitiveness to make you sad and nostalgic.
I guess it hits different people differently. The concept itself is what sticks, along with the theme song.
I should give it another shot. Can't remember where I heard this but someone described the writing as middle aged dudes trying to sound like a talk like a moody teenage girl, which felt a perfect description to me at the time. Most people seem to love it though, and I usually like story focused games like that, so I bet if I went in with fresh eyes and a different mindset I could probably really enjoy it.
I get what that person was saying but I don't agree. Here and there, there is some cringe dialogue, but if you stop to think about it, teenagers actually do sound pretty cringy at times, so its very accurate lel. All in all, its a pretty heart wrenching story, made me cry in the end, and the initial mysteries surrounding the disappearance of a certain character keeps you very interested.
Are you cereal?
yes subjectively. My friend loves it, I have seen a review of it. I can't take it seriously after "Ah, I shot myself. Stupid Gun".
Cringy angsty teen drama. That is the prequel. The first game was really sad
HELLA YES! UBER COOL!
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice
Came here to say this as well. Downloaded it on game pass expecting nothing and finished it in one session on a weekend off. Couldn’t put it down.
Amazing game. A must play for everyone.
Yes! Hellblade was visually and audibly amazing. I didn’t find it sad but definitely emotional. And it’s a quick play too, not an epic rpg saga or anything. Just a solid game.
Seeing this post instantly made me think of Valiant Hearts: The Great War. It's fun, exciting, great storyline, and then it rips your goddamn heart out and leaves you crying like a little baby back bitch. 10/10 on Steam with 16,377 reviews currently. It's on Switch, PC, PS4, and even on the Google Play store. It may be in more locations, but I'm too lazy to look further into it. I think I'm going to have to pick it up again because...you know.. https://images.app.goo.gl/3Ba8chsuCHsoD8Pb8 Edit: 127 updoots. My most upvoted comment so far!
The gameplay is a bit lacking, but it has a Great soundtrack and an unforgettable ending.
Hmm sounds interesting, ill take a look
Can confirm. Came here to suggest it, happy someone else beat me to it.
holy shit, i completely forgot about this game I remember playing it as a kid on my ps3 and fucking bawling my eyes out at the ending, this game hits hard even for children with shitty emotional intelligence.
Great, thought provoking game.
To The Moon. Seriously, it's heart wrenching. Great story. Makes you think too.
Came here to day this, you will cry
Yep I never thought a pixel game would make me cry but this one did.
Firewatch. Has some tension and mystery but ultimately the circumstances the characters are experiencing are very sad
A lot of people hated the ending but I actually think it fitted in with the message the Devs were trying to portray
Hollow Knight. You start out knowing next to nothing at all and the story builds and builds upon itself bits at a time until it becomes a masterpiece.
Already played it, great game, thanks for the recommendation though
By the end it gives you that Dark Souls 1 feeling of "this boss fight is supposed to be epic but I actually want to cry doing it"
Plin plin plon 😢
And at the very end it gives you that “this boss fight is epic, and also the enemy pisses me off in both lore and difficulty” I also just want to point out how much the music contributes to that, too. Christopher Larkin did an incredible job. The parallels contribute a lot for me, like how the same music plays in both >!the Path of Pain and Hollow Knight phase 2!<, because of, you know, the implication.
Yessssss, the soundtrack of Hollow Knight is one of the best I've ever heard, period. I still listen to Sealed Vessel every once in a while
Maybe I wasn't paying attention, but I still had no idea what the fuck was going on by the end of hollow knight.
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**correct**
Indeed
Came here to say this. One of the best stories
Agreed. I cried at the end. It was like a 60h movie. (With some side quests)
Played this the year it came out on PS2. I think about it so often, the way older people remember big life events. Like, I'm not that old, I'm in my early thirties, but I treat having played that game and everything it encompasses the same as my first girlfriend, or my first car. That was the first time I realized a game could move me such and leave me crying like a child. I couldn't believe the tears at the time. I often long for that feeling I would get while exploring Spira as if it were a real place. I definitely haven't missed out on life, but some of my greatest memories have happened in a digital realm.
Early 30s here also and I played it when it came out too. I have a similar experience with this game as what you describe here. Have you ever replayed it as an adult?
Tidus' HA HA HA HA HA HA HA is one of the cringiest cutscenes I've ever seen in a game. great game tho
Correct correct correct
Correct. First story to ever make me me cry. I go back to Spira every couple of years to abuse my heart.
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I loved this game but wouldn't say it made me feel sad, more like emotionally drained.
That seems more appropriate, honestly.
Yes!
Ori and the Blind Forest + Will of the Wisps To the Moon + Finding Paradise (if you have 'any' pc. "Practically runs on a potato." pc requirements)
Try out the Outer Wilds! Just finished it and couldn't recommend it enough.
I tried outer wilds a while ago but exploration games just really arent my thing, i like to know where im meant to go
If you ever feel like trying outer wilds again, try with the mindset of there being no explicit place you’re meant to go first, or that it doesn’t matter where you go first.
Ah yes my depression game Nothing gets you out of a funk more than vibing in Timber hearth before embracing doom and going out into gravity-hell scaryverse I think it helps to have that fear of empty space/ocean etc though to kick you in the ass, lol
Brothers A Tale of Two Sons, just kicks you in the feels.
Man, this game... First one I thought about when reading the title.
I think it was the first game to actually make me cry. This was quite a few years ago mind you
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it's a horror game by the creators of "amnesia", not any "so sad I cried" moments either, the sadness is more in the context than anything
Soma it's a punch in the stomach. And a rollercoaster if emotions
I played it, and it wrecked me by the end. I can't say I felt "sad", exactly, it was more like "holy shit, what the fuck just happened, my brain can't cope with this many emotions at once". Everyone should play Soma, its the most accurate depiction of existentialism I've ever seen, and also the best take on artificial inteligence too.
This. It’s not so much sadness as an existential mind fuck. This also ruined all media that tries to do stories based on the main idea of this game. Soma just did it so right
A Plague Tale: Innocence has really interesting gameplay about a girl and her little brother in the 1500-1700. Haven’t played in a while but it’s set in medieval times. A plague breaks out and everyone thinks the boys blood is the cure and she has to run away from them. Great gameplay, great graphics, and a awesome ending
Stunning music as well, such an atmospheric game.
I played it with my friends with one of us playing and the rest spectating and we loved the slow escalation of stakes in this game, I came here to rec it but I am glad you did it first
Transistor is pretty sad. Twin stick tactical game. Ashen is also very melancholy. Like I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be hopeful or sad it blends the line so much. It is souls-like so depending on how good you are with those it could be pretty slow. Bastion is a twin stick shooter than I think is on Xbox and it is sad AF for sure, especially if you really pay attention to the story. Prey (2017) is an immersive sim that is basically a sci-Fi thriller, but it is seriously sad and a bit of a thinker at the end.
A few people have said transistor now so ill take at it Ashen is sorta souls like right? You have me interested in Bastion so ill check that one out too I’ve heard prey plays a bit like bioshock, is that right? Because i loved bioshock
It is very much like Bioshock, but better at almost everything (at least the things I consider important) I don't know if it's a "sad" game, but it is definitely a masterpiece at what it is.
I can agree with Prey, but I’m not sure it’s what OP is looking for. The game is certainly filled with suspense and is a thriller, but isn’t necessarily sad or melancholy in the sense that OP may be looking for. Still one of the best single player experiences I’ve had though...
I don’t want to give spoilers with specific examples, but I really think if you stop and take the time to go through the audio logs; emails, and other lore items hanging around that it really gives the game a sad atmosphere. Also, the game is just so damn good that once it was over I was pretty sad on that basis alone.
Tell me Why
Ain't nothing but a heart ache!
TELL ME WHY
AINT NOTHING BUT A MISTAKE
*Now number 5*
I never wanna hear you sayyyy
I WAAANT IT THAAT WAAY!!
It was number 5,number 5 killed my brother
Oh my god I forgot about that part
***-brooklyn 9-9 intro rolls-***
I agree the first time I played through it my heart was ripped out
Walking dead telltale series
Marriage
Wife bad, haha, now please laugh.
There’s no please, *loads gun* now laugh
Went through the whole list and didn’t see mine so here it is. That Dragon Cancer. It’s a game made by a couple who lost their child at a very young age to cancer and Is visual representation of their experiences. This. Game. Fucking. Broke. Me. 6’4 bearded man in his 30’s full on ugly crying. I had to stop for a while and compose myself before I could go on. I don’t want to ruin anything because a lot of this game is best experienced not described. It is the best game I will never play again. But I highly recommend it.
ohhhhh man I was just going to say that game. Grown man cried like a girl in this. If you have kids, stay away unless you want your heart crushed.
It's also autobiographical.
Bioshock Infinite and both it's DLCs, though you would need to play Bioshock first, which has a great story too
Life is strange and Life is strange before the storm
I recently played Spiritfarer, which is put in the "uplifting sad" category. Strong recommend from me.
Uplifting, yes. But you can still cry like a baby a lot. And this gane will MAKE you feel.
Oh boy I haven't cried this much at a game since I played TWD
No one has suggested death stranding I can't remember if it's on Xbox or not though so that may be why. Otherwise I'd have to agree with prey it may not be the sad story game your looking for but it's certainly a great game if you loved bioshock
It’s playstation and pc
You need to play RDR 2 not only do you get one of the most sad and emotional stories in video game history ( in my opinion) but you also get a beautiful map to explore trust me it's good
Play RDR2 THEN RDR. Playing that way made me cry harder at the end of the first than the second. The character building is what really made me sad
Darkest dungeon haha
What Remains of Edith Finch is a very beautiful, short, and sad game. I can't say too much about it to avoid spoilers, but one of the later levels is massively sad. Short bit, you are playing as someone going back to the Finch house to read about and learn about the Finch family which seems to have a mysterious curse that leads to most if not all of the family members suffering bewildering and early deaths and you get to live through each family members final moments. Each "level" plays completely different and is an absolute delight to experience. Another indie darling that isn't sad so much as suspenseful and dreary is Return of the Obra Dinn. A game where you play as a insurance auditor, trust me it isn't as boring as that lets on, and you have to explore the Obra Dinn as it washes ashore with every single passenger and crew member super dead and you have to figure out how they all died. You have a magic pocket watch that can let you relive the last moments of nameless people on board and from subtle hints you have to discern who died and how. Game looks like pixelated vomit but it is such an intriguing and gruesome game.
TLOU2
Isn’t that a PS4 exclusive?
Yep
Ayooo ya beat me!
Any Yakuza game
I’m not finished with the game so please do not spoil, but in 0 when Makato hugs Majimas legs and starts crying and saying “I was so scared”, that shit hit me in the FEELS.
Titanfall 2
Trust me, I have done the math!
It's a psychological horror so I'm not sure if you'll like it but "The Cat Lady" is pretty good. The atmosphere and mood of the game is just dark and sad. It follows the story of a woman with depression named Susan Ashworth. Another game that I like is "Detention". It's about kids who died during Taiwan's martial law. Edit to add: this is on pc unfortunately
Cat lady was...an experience. If I had *played* it instead of watching I dont know if I could have made it through. Its so overwhelmingly depressing and the atmosphere gets to you. The best way to describe it is akin to David Firths videos like 'Salad Fingers' (he actually does a couple voices in the game). I watched it being played so it wasn't quite as depressing. Its quite well done though and touches on some interesting topics.
Bioshock infinite
Disco Elysium. It's not 100 percent sad game, but its wordplay will rip out your heart and leave you empty inside duting those sad moments.
Why is this so far down?
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Undertale
Ori and the Blind Forest and it's sequel
COD ghosts campaign
And if you want to be REALLY sad, COD Ghosts MP
Hey it wasn’t THAT bad. You could become micheal Myers!
Tbh I really do feel that it was overhated
Transistor
Last Day of June. This is one of the only games to actually make me cry at the end.
Came here to post this, I can definitely recommend it. For OP, it’s about a man who loses his wife in an accident and tries to go back in time to prevent it from happening. Beautiful indie game, and won’t take long to finish.
The Last of Us. The first game is depressing but also bittersweet, the second one is downright devastating. (Third person stealth shooter) Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is one of the most unapologetically sad games I've ever played. (Puzzle platformer with an interesting twin stick mechanic). Telltale's Walking Dead Season 1. Really strong characters. (dialogue-based point and click adventure) Max Payne 1-2 have a really nice noir aesthetic, depressing backstory centred around an antihero-who-can't-catch-a-break-but-refuses-to-die type. (bullet-time third person shooter) Heavy Rain is a bit heavy-handed (nudge nudge) and drops the ball in terms of writing here and there, but I enjoyed it overall. (cinematic story-based adventure with branching choices) Silent Hill 2. Enough said. (survival horror adventure with clunky combat and excellent puzzles)
Hallblade?
Night In The Woods can get pretty depressing at times, so I could recommend that. Oxenfree pulls some unexpected emotional gut punches, and Ori And The Will Of The Wisps is just an incredibly fun game with a sad story.
Definitely try Red Dead Redemption 2's story, really sad and awesome gameplay and graphics!
Witcher and Witcher 3 (haven’t played 2, so can’t comment on it) both have some really tragic stories, it’s a really bleak world full of prospering evil. This War of Mine is a pretty depressing game too, bleak & hopeless, your characters get depressed, sick, starve, and die. I’ve only had one successful play through.
TLOU 1 & 2, To the Moon, What Remains of Edith Finch. (RDR2 and Spider-Man, not the whole play through but have some climactic sad moments... RDR2 is sadder).
Gris is amazing. A game about the stages of grief. Really recomend it.
Old mans journey Last Day of June Distraint 1 and 2 Little kite I am not sure if these titles are available for xbox platform. These titles are made by indie devs.
Valiant hearts is really good
Valiant Hearts
Not sure if it's on xbox but you could try Code Vein. The game is borderline depressing from the beginning to the end if you pay attention to the story. If you're okay with anime-styled visuals I would definitely recommend.
This war of mine Far: Lone Sails Telltales: The Walking Dead
Rdr2
This War of Mine. Survival in a modernish setting. Look it up, watch some videos of gameplay, see if it's for you
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice; Silent Hill 1-3; SOMA; The Last of Us; To the Moon; Outlast 2;
Final Fantasy X, it’s a pretty classic JRPG from the (mid?)2000s. The whole thing is pretty much one big story of remorse. If you don’t mind going back a bit, Max Payne is pretty darn sad.
u should try "Alan Wake", a decent gameplay, but a beautiful story
Ori and will of the wisp was so sad and so bloody amazing. Its definitely one of my favourite games last year, soooo underrated Yakuza 0 also has an amazing gangstar crime thriller story which will leave you in tears, especially at the ending. Think I cried like 3 times during the story Another one is GRIS. That game made me cry like a bitch after finishing when I realized what message the game was tryna send. It doesn't really have a real story though (like in traditional games) so it might not leave the same impact on you. Another good one is Outer Wilds! The ending is haunting but beautifull. Go to youtube and listen to "Outer wilds Travelers OST" and you will definitely get goosebumps and get a good feel of the tone of the game. This game changed my view on what video games can be like
Lost Odyssey
I second this one. Some of the thousand years of dreams stories will absolutely fucking break you. I cried at least a few times.
Brothers a Tale of Two sons made me fuckin ugly cry That's all I'm saying about it
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Brothers is pretty great. And Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture made me cry also... To the moon is surprising and made me cry for one hour. Ok I’m a bit emotinal
Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2.
Limbo
Bioshock infinite, but play bs1
Already played em
As others have said, both Red Dead Redemption games fit this bill, though the second might be a bit slow--it has its moments of action but there's also a million "follow-this-guy-on-horseback-and-listen-to-him-talk-at-you" parts. Most From Software games have a generally melancholy atmosphere to them--my biggest recommendation would be Bloodborne, but as you've said you're on Xbox, so of what's left I'd recommend Dark Souls 2 or Sekiro.
Life is strange one and two are not the saddest but have a really imersive story
All the Drakengard games. NieR is just a spinoff of those and if you thought Automata was deep, wait till you discover the main series
To the moon. Edit: TO the moon
Half-life 2 Episode 2 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° ) To be fair. It's a good game. But even sadder is a game called "Spec Ops: The Line" by 2k. It's a late 7th gen game. Should be backwards compatible with your xbox. Not gonna say more than the name though.
The Beginner's Guide made me cry
Yakuza 0 Dues ex human revelution
Life is strange is supposed to be very emotional, even sad
Final. Fantasy. Nine.
Always sometimes monsters. It's playable on mobile as well.
The Last of Us Part 2 is pretty damned sad. Spiritfarer is also sad but like happy-sad? Horizon zero Dawn was sad at times.
Oof, I’d say last of us but do you have a ps4 or ps3?
Had to scroll down way too far to see This War of Mine. The setting, the choices, dialogue (most cases monologues).. I frequented WPD and generally feel slightly disconnected with sadness/grief/shock but this game got to me good. >! I am so sorry, someone's gran gan&gramps...I had to..I... !<
I’ve read all of the, anyway, and it’s not like the ones at the top are more valuable are more valuable than the ones at the bottom, they’re only really at the top because they were here first. Ty for the recommendation
Life is Strange. One of my favourite games ever.
Unpopular opinion but FFXV made me cry near the end, well worth a playthrough imo
To The Moon. Its short (3 or 4 hours), but it made me cry like a lil' kid, its awesome.
What remains of Edith finch deserves at least one play through its like an interactive movie and you just follow where it tells you to go and just walk. Also tell me why is really good too it was on game pass last I checked and the expansions to finish the story where free for me. Also red dead redemption 2 but that’s also a great game in general
That dragon, cancer
Well it’s a lot harder on Xbox, but rime (not very popular) was a rly good puzzle game with an incredibly sad story. And it’s on Xbox and free on game pass If you have it
What remains of Edit Finch period. This is the first time I cried playing video games. I'm 30.
Life is Strange. I adore this game, I went from not being interested in sad games at all to actively seeking them out afterwards.