Basically what the title says. I've only played two games like this so far (Silent Hill 2 and OMORI) and am looking for more.
Could be games, ROM hacks, mods of existing games, etc.
EDIT: So many great suggestions! Getting a bit overwhelmed by how many there are, so I'm going to need to find a way to put this in some kind of list with an order to play the games in. By all means, keep 'em coming, though!
For some shorter experiences I haven't seen mentioned when skimming through a few comments here, I definitely recommend trying Transistor. It was one of the strongest emotional experience I've ever had in a game. I've managed to play it in a single sitting, but it is around 6 hours long. Supergiant games make such a uniquely perfect audiovisual experiences, that every game from them is a treat, but Transistor is the strongest emotional experience I've played from them.
Another one would be two-hours long walking simulator with amazing environmental storytelling - What Remains of Edit Finch. You can play it in a single sitting, and it's gorgeous and really well done.
You should also play Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice . It's also around 8 hours long, and you definitely want to play it with headphones, it's such a strong emotional experience. The audio and game design is so well done, and the game has stuck with me for such a long time. It's one of the few games where just seeing the trailer again tears me up and gives me chills. And after you play it, I recommend watching the documentary about how they tried to protray the mental illness of the main character through game design - it's such masterfully done that I didn't even realize most of what they are doing, but it has stuck with me and it worked wonders to make the experience even better.
And for some even more unique game design - Before Your Eyes. What makes this experience so strong is the whole premise of looking over your life and memories after you've died, with the main mechanic of how to advance time being by blinking - physically blinking, because the game can work with your camera. That makes for a pretty strong metaphor that makes it even more emotional experience.
And just to mention some games others have mentioned, to add to their recommendations - Outer Wilds, Ori and the Blind Forest, Life is Strange, Planet of Lana, all are really good games!
Another vote for Edith Finch, the ending made me bawl like a baby. Great storytelling, each level doesn't overstay it's welcome, its funny and emotional throughout, but the ending really hit me in the feels.
I cried at the ending of Outer Wields. Its was very beautiful. You need to search the story for yourself and complete little puzzle. At the end when you get the full story its just beautiful and scary.
Outer Wilds and Undertale are the only two games where I happened to coincidentally quit playing them right at a part where the narrative made sense. I died in outer wilds and I got stuck on the Sans fight in Undertale. I can't go into details without spoilers.
I was going through a really rough time when I played both of those games. There was something in Before the Storm that I know was coming but I cried anyways, multiple times. I’ve never been that invested in a game before and I don’t know if I’ll ever be again.
LiS is exactly what I came to suggest. I cried from every one of the LiS games and so recommend them all, but the original is hands down the best in pretty much every way.
Yes I went into that game knowing only that choices matter and nothing else. It was a huge eye opener to mental health. I’m very tempted to get a tattoo of the spiral because I want to make it resemble when I made a choice to stay alive. I am in a much better place now and that game has really helped me.
It was such an amazing game, ruined by a rushed ending that just completely skipped over many of the events that had happened in the story. It makes me so mad because it could easily have been a 10/10.
It's 10/10 either way for me. I played that game at the right time in my life I think because things were changing for me and it made me release a lot of emotion I had been holding on to. Fuck it sucks trying to be stoic.
I started playing it right during a divorce and did not keep going. Noped out in the first 10 minutes. I should revisit it now that I'm in a better place.
The whole To The Moon series hits really hard. Note that if it sounds interesting to you to see the perspective of doctors meddling with people's memories before they die (so they die on a happier memory, basically), don't watch anything major about this. Giving too much away ruins the impact.
If you are fine with the low-ish production values, the old-ish VN Katawa Shoujo works really well. Instead of showing ordinary people in extraordinary situations, it shows extraordinary people in completely ordinary situations. But as a result of how our memories of our teenage years distort with age, this works really well on adults. In particular for me, Rin's route was really good and made me cry a lot.
It's long, but in a good way. The content isn't drawn out and repetitive. You want to play it that long. Mostly mentioning rdr2 here which is much better.
There are a million things that you can do in the game, but you don't have to do any of them. You can stick to the story if you want. It's probably still a very long game though, even if you only engage in the story.
Spiritfarer. I loved it on switch, but it's also on steam.
"Spiritfarer® is a cozy management game about dying. As ferrymaster to the deceased, build a boat to explore the world, care for your spirit friends, and release them into the afterlife."
Spiritfarer is such a gem, one of the spirits you send to the afterlife really broke me. It's also available on Netflix Games so if you have a tablet and a Netflix sub you can try it from there.
Brothers: a tale of two sons. You play as both brothers, working together to find a cure for their father sickness. Pretty sure I traumatized my SO with this one...
Came here for this - thisgames was amazing and I totally did not see the ending coming until just before it happened. Heart wrenching and bittersweet - such a mind-blowing game!
Disco Elysium made me cry after a short conversation with a random man on the street. I haven't played much of it yet, so I can't speak to the majority of the content, but what I have played of it evokes more emotion than any game I've ever played before.
It has. However, don't buy it. You can easily find it in fitgirl etc. Reason being, the devs won't see a cent as they were kicked out of the studio that published the game. There's lots of articles regarding this drama anywhere.
Horizon Zero Dawn. The story itself isn't especially emotional, but learning the secret history of the world broke me, mostly because it seemed entirely plausible in our not-too-distant future.
Chrono Trigger. A timeless game that will make you laugh and cry and experience all that in between. The sequel Chrono Cross is also great but the original is just unrivalled.
I'd have to say Nier Automata, as well as the recent remaster of the game that came before it, Nier Replicant (ver 1.22...). Both are soul-crushing, which is helped by their amazing soundtracks. I definitely recommend them if you're looking for something to make you cry.
NieR: Automata is also definetely my favourite tip. Especially if you want to cry.
Just as a hint: you need to play until you get ending c or d to experience the full story (and by that I mean, you are literally missing half the story otherwise). You don't need to do anything special, just keep playing.
Also after you get one you can easily do the other and then get the "true" ending.
To the Moon is both one of a very few games to ever make me cry, and the only game to ever make me ugly cry. I'm talking full-on runny nose, the works. The final 10% of that game is devastating.
I recommended Life is Strange to a guy at work on a Friday and that Monday he came in yelling "I didn't sign on to feel things! Why did you do that to me?".
I was also going to say Brothers. There’s one moment (anyone who has played it probably knows what I’m talking about) that actually gave me a visceral reaction.
I've played through this game a few times over the years - twice playing with one of my kids. I've always played as the older brother, and every time it chokes me up at the end with the swimming part. My kids never seemed to mind, but it wrecks me.
Spiritfarer is an absolutely wonderful experience that is somehow both a casual open world chill game and a game that delves deep into the topic of death, being prepared for it, and leaving people behind. Really special game.
True, I sold my stash for a great fortune near the end of the game. It wasn't particularly worthwhile to have stockpiled as much as I did (though it was still fun, I really like crafting games).
The thread is quite large at this point, so sorry if it's been recommended already. GRIS is definitely a very emotional game. It's quite short, probably on sale quite often, visually stunning, and very sad.
In fact Chapter 1 is free on Steam (maybe on console as well but I don't have a console to check) so I encourage anyone even remotely interested to give it a shot.
Life is Strange for sure. Idk what it is but I was emotional for days after finishing it. Wasn't a huge fan of the others in the series but I can't recommend the first one enough
Ah bummer. I'm sorry to hear TLoU didn't work for you.
FFX has been on my list for a long time now. Only FF game I’ve played is VI.
It's a great game with some really emotional moments. I enjoyed it a lot and it's a lot of people's favourite game in the series (mine is VI which you've already played).
IDK much about Life is Strange.
It's really hard to describe without spoiling anything. I mentioned in another comment that the first chapter is free on Steam so if you wanted to try it without a monetary risk then that's always an option.
I played Heavy Rain and somehow managed to get the ending where everyone died. That kept me off gaming in general for quite a while. Brothers was mentioned here, I can recommend it too. Papo y Yo is a allegory of your relationship with an alcoholic abusive father, and it didn't make me cry outright but was pretty heavy.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter! I'm not going to say anything, except that you need to do all the "side" quests. If you miss any, the map at the end will show which you missed. See the ending!
Dear Esther is also quite special, the monologues change every playthrough and everyone interprets the game differently. Very impactful.
My first thought is definitely Valiant Hearts: The Great War. That one, I found, to be devastatingly sad. Regularly on sale for super cheap, including right now. Also available on mobile if you prefer
I very rarely cry from games, but Ori and the Blind Forest made me shed a tear or two. Ori and the Will of the Wisps made my full-on ugly cry, and I was literally distraught for days.
You don't mind porn? Go and play the AVN Acting Lessons. It's on Steam. It's not too long but the punch it packs... it has this reputation of "the AVN you'll never wanna play again".
I like to compare it to Requiem for a Dream.
If you want less heart-rending tears, I just finished chapter 3 of Being a Dik and there were tears, but the kinda good emotional kind. I'm the first surprised, but it seems to be a signature of the author and I quite like it.
Otherwise I'm playing Metro Exodus and man, that game is oozing with that uniquely Russian despair. No tears yet, but I'm preparing for some dark moments and the whole thing is just... wow. Mad Max had beautiful everything, but M:E has fantastic writing throughout. It all feels deeply personal and with that dreadful feeling of inevitability.
And you only get to see/hear it if you want, mostly. Very glad I gave this game a second chance (it's very... clunky. Again in that typical slavic way, I guess; but it works if you accept it as it is).
+1 for Metro Exodus. I'm a little surprised that it comes up in discussions like this so rarely. I'm a huge fan of post-apocalyptic settings so I might be biased, but it's easily one of my favorite games ever.
How has A Plague Tail not been mentioned? Most of these mentioned a good games with a sad scene or two thrown in. Plague Tail, especially the sequel will make a grown man ugly cry.
Ori and the Blind Forest? I know it's not quite as mature as some of the things suggested here, but it really knows how to hit you hard at some points throughout the story.
It might not fit entirely in, but check out Spec Ops: The Line. It's more or less linear shooter, but the story (and ending) makes it quite unique and very different from any other game I've played. Could too get pretty emotional at times.
It's one of the few games I've played where I was speechless at the ending. Maybe not crying-level emotional, but still hit me like a truck. Another one would be probably Dear Esther, which was already mentioned here.
came here to say spirit farer. that game is responsible for normalizing me hugging my spouse for no reason besides it feels good. Also definitely made me cry more than pretty much any other work of fiction in any medium.
The Yakuza series beyond Zero is also bloody amazing.
One moment you're laughing your ass off and the next thing you know you're in emotional anguish. If you're okay with Japanese weirdness (oh trust me it gets really weird), this series is a great rabbit hole to get into
Haven't actually played it yet but a video about MOTHER 3 made me cry just talking about the story (not only that but the part where he talked about the story made me a little emotional)
Another one I started and haven't finished :P. Do I have to play Earthbound first? I really couldn't get into the battling system. Also had a tiny bit of M3 spoiled for me, but I forgot most of it, so I think I can still go in with fresh eyes.
There are some Earthbound references in Mother 3 that you won’t know the context of when you encounter them as well as a bit of context for the main villain. But other than that, it’s not required to go through Earthbound before playing Mother 3.
Yeah if I had to choose between Earthbound’s battling system and Mother 3’s, I would definitely go with Mother 3’s because the one for Earthbound isn’t as engaging.
Papers, Please. Maybe not crying, but could definitely put you into a depressed mood if you manage to get into character. Needing to make a choice between letting some poor bastard's wife follow him without proper papers and feeding your family is tough.
One I've not seen mentioned but made me bawl my eyes out is 'Presentable Liberty'
Im not sure about the remake, but the original was pretty short and was gripping, despite the low level of action.
a world where each person only has only ten years to live and is forced to fight throughout in a never-ending war between two nations in a decaying land. There's a lot of depth surrounding the main characters, especially joint protagonist Mio who has only 3 months life remaining at the start of the story. Game gets real fucking dark.
And nah you don't need to play the first two to enjoy it, as long as you avoid the DLC expansion as that's the series conclusion.
Edit: also the most believable and well written romance between two characters I've ever seen in a game and the fantastic VA makes a huge impact (all UK talent - Mio's VA is better known for Peaky Blinders, Jenna Coleman is better known for Dr Who, for example). And anyone who says they didn't cry in chapter 5/6 is a liar.
Xenoblade has no relevance to anything that came before it (aside from a small couple of references).
Xenoblade 1, 2, 3 can be played in any order. They are self contained aside from certain references. 1 is more serious, 2 vastly more light-hearted (for most of it, anyway). 3 takes place countless centuries after the other two with references to them in certain circumstances, removes the anime-ness of 2 and makes things vastly more serious. There's really nothing lost playing them out of order.
Playing in order gives you the "oh shit, it's that place", or person or music or whatever experience as you go on, but you would get that just as easily in any order I'd imagine. And the game works great on Yuzu on PC in 4k too.
Edit: yes there is an overarching plot in the trilogy, which reaches its conclusion in 3's expansion. But the games are structured in a way that is best for new players while rewarding long term fans.
Slime rancher always makes me cry at the end, but it deffo requires you reading the random notes and emails, and then also giving a shit about characters you never actually interact with. I can’t remember why it’s so emotionally effective, but this is the exact trap that keeps leading me back to replaying it and crying at the end again.
I may be a bit late to the party but The last of us 1&2 had a pretty emotional impact on me. The game is pretty brutal, in every meaning, but the overall experience and story telling is hard to top.
I highly recommend to not get spoiled and play it in order of release!
Bastion hit me like no other game really has. The start of supergiants fantastic game repertoire and I feel it gets overlooked due to its age. The music and narration is fantastic, and the story that unfolds is beautiful.
Disco Elysium shattered me half a dozen times. Two moments in particular made me step away from my desk and go on a walk. It's the best-written game I've ever played.
Firewatch. Gorgeous, emotionally honest game that wrings you out.
Inside. More of a stressful, cathartic cry, but it applies.
Mass Effect 3 - but only if you play the first two. Incredible story that beats you over the head with yearning .
I still need to play the first (rebooted) one. Also I game on PC, so I gotta wait for Sony to give the OK to the devs to port it over like they did woth the first one.
Have you played Plague Tale 1 and 2? I'm not considered a very emotional person, but the dynamic really got to me. Just a really solid game, enjoyable combat. They're two of the very few games I binged to completion.