10 Most Emotional Video Games of All Time

Tears of joy, tears of sorrow, I can’t remember the last time I cried. But even my tears aren’t resistant to the most emotional video games of all time. As long as you can feel, these games will get to you. It may be the characters that feel so damn relatable to your personal experience. Or the story itself that reminds you of a significant moment in your life. Whatever the case, games are growing more and more deep and meaningful, and we’re here for all of it. 

Despite the emotional roller coaster these most emotional games of all time will take you through, I promise it’ll all be totally worth it—unforgettable, immersive, and impactful. 

10. Katana ZERO

The best emotional video games, I’d argue, are those whose storylines are complex, sparking intrigue with their mysteries, and concluding in an unexpected ending. Katana ZERO is exactly that; hardly the type of game you’d expect to take you on an emotional rollercoaster. 

It’s a neo-noir, combat-heavy platformer where a samurai hitman completes several contracts in every stage. While jumping and dashing across the stages, you uncover tidbits of the story. But no matter how gripping each new story beat is, you’ll never anticipate where the ending takes you; absolutely shocking to say the least.

9. The Last of Us

Post-apocalyptic settings are no new thing to gaming. But The Last of Us somehow managed to blow its potential wide open. It combines the hopelessness of the end of the world with the unexpected connections Joel and Ellie form within all the chaos and death. 

Having lost his daughter, Joel begins to form a father-daughter relationship with Ellie. It is heartbreaking when Joel has to lie to Ellie, and in turn, Ellie’s trust in Joel is broken. So many moments in the game are absolutely gut-wrenching. But nothing beats the terribly sad ending gamers will remember for ages to come.

8. Spiritfarer

At first, you can be easily fooled into thinking Spiritfarer is just another cozy, relaxing game. But soon, it becomes clear that the story isn’t afraid to go to deep, dark places, grappling with heavy themes of grief and loss with grace. 

You are to take care of lost souls, forming unexpected bonds with each one. But for everyone, there will come a time when you must let go, helping them move on to the afterlife. 

7. Telltale’s The Walking Dead

I imagine that at the end of the world, you’ll be forced to do some terrible things you could never have imagined doing. That’s the picture Telltale’s The Walking Dead paints, a most heartless yet necessary depressing storyline for the survival of the last humans left standing. 

When characters you’ve grown attached to are infected, you’re forced to make the difficult decision to shoot them in the head lest they turn into zombies and kill you; never mind that they are just a kid. You might have to chop off someone’s leg to free them from a bear trap, lest they’re caught in a zombie attack, and so on and so forth. 

6. Red Dead Redemption 2

When ranking the most emotional video game endings, I bet Red Dead Redemption 2 will be at the top of your list. It wrote perhaps the most tragic death of Arthur Morgan fans will take to their grave. And I guess, it’s largely because you kind of know the end is inevitable, yet can’t seem to stop fighting till you’ve taken your last breath. 

5. Omori

Psychological horrors often manage to get you in the best ways possible, and among the best in the market is Omori. The protagonist has isolated himself from the world after a traumatic event. Eventually, though, you have no choice but to emerge from your “safe space” and confront the past. 

Soon, the mystery behind your sister’s death and your own alter ego begins to unravel. You must strive toward healing. And toward the end, a surprising plot twist seals the deal as one of the most emotional video games of all time. 

4. That Dragon, Cancer

That Dragon, Cancer isn’t at all for the faint of heart. It’s incredibly upfront and honest about infant Joel Green’s four-year fight against cancer. All it takes is two hours to unravel a most gut-wrenching experience with difficult themes of loss and survival.  

3. To the Moon

Johnny’s lifelong dream has been to go to the moon with his wife. It’s his dying last wish, which you have the opportunity to help fulfil. By walking through Johnny’s memories, To the Moon allows you to create new memories in his mind. 

But things take a turn for the worst the deeper you tread into his past. What was meant to be an easy fix quickly becomes a deeply emotional take on the complexities of human happiness.

2. Life is Strange

Life is Strange, indeed, introducing you to such delightful characters only to take them away. Or rather, force you to take them away. Throughout your journey, you enjoy a powerfully written adventure about Max exploring her time-traveling powers and growing closer to the characters she meets. 

In the end, though, you’re forced to make a tough decision: choose your hometown or the woman you love (or a close friend, depending on the dialogue choices you make), bearing in mind the consequences each decision will have on you and the world. 

1. Arise: A Simple Story

Despite lacking any dialogue, navigating the different life stages of the protagonist in Arise: A Simple Story evokes lots of deep emotions. In the story, you explore a man’s memories, from his childhood to his passing. Midway, you’ll grapple with themes of love and hardships. 

Often deep, at times haunting, every element of this game is incredibly moving. And in the themes of loss, acceptance is often the last and hardest stage to reach, which the game handles so delicately. In all of its themes, you’ll long remember your experience past the credits roll.