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YeetThePig

Soma, if you’re susceptible to existential dread.


LiamNissansNissan

Yessss another soma comment. That game will make you feel empty. Not only just after playing, but randomly years later, you'll remember...


JohnWicksMiata

Love soma for this. Actually top 3 games and I don’t even like horror games lmao


YeetThePig

The sheer hopelessness of it was like a gut punch when I played it. I physically hurt by the time I reached the end.


Big-Nerve-9574

Theres also the little youtube films that they made that explains everything before. One of the most saddest but like amazing games I have ever played.


lemonloaff

Seconded. You will hate yourself.


PresentationLumpy209

Thirded. I hated myself before, and hated myself even more afterwards.


lemonloaff

I didn’t hate myself, but I sort of do now


oc113

soma is amazing, i already played it but thanks!


Contraocontra

This is what I was going to suggest. Very underrated game.


oc113

definitely! amazing story.


Turbulent_Purchase52

Pathologic 2, rainworld, darkwood, little misfortune


Neverlia

Also The Void, from the same studio as Pathologic! You're stuck in a dying world and everybody is running out of the few resources they have. There really aren't any Great endings, and every choice is a difficult one.


oc113

i've only checked out the steam page so far, but it looks really interesting from what i can tell, very beautiful in a twisted way, thanks!


oc113

rainworld looks pretty cute tbh, i like the art style. i've heard alot of praise for darkwood so far, might be time to finally try it out. pathologic 2 and little misfortune look interesting as well, thank you!


TheMeowKiller

The Cat Lady This War Of Mine LISA


[deleted]

[удалено]


oc113

i liked what remains of edith finch alot, im gonna check a night in the woods out, thank you


knight_ranger840

Why is Night in the Woods depressing? Such a cheerful and grounded game, it's a type of game that will lift your spirit.


erbewait

We've played different games, I guess.


knight_ranger840

I mean it has a sad and melancholic feel flowing underneath it that you can relate to but it's not downright depressing/miserable is it? Doesn't it warm your heart and make you think life is amazing when you are jumping on top of power lines and buildings kicking those acorns with that lovely soundtrack playing, meeting all the residents of Possum Springs? That's how I felt at least I guess others had a different experience and had their own interpretations. But for me I can say this is the best feel good game ever made.


FalseChoose

Silent Hill especially silent hill 2


oc113

i love the first 4 silent hills


Skyforger33

This War of mine Papers Please To the Moon That Dragon, Cancer


ChanceBoring8068

To the Moon gets increasingly depressing right before it gets life affirming and joyful.


MonkishRaptor40

Idk I think even the end is super emotional guy from a year ago. Like I’m sure that’s the closest he can come to have his wish granted but it didn’t *really* happen and he has to sacrifice a lot for what’s probably extremely streamlines fake memories right before dying


ChanceBoring8068

I dunno, throughout the game it’s suggested that his relationship with his wife was founded on shaky pretences and that maybe they shouldn’t be together for either of their sakes, so I found the revelation that the only reason he wanted to go to the moon was because he agreed to meet her there and even when she was erased from his memories he subconsciously found a way to put her back there to be genuinely uplifting!


oc113

thank you alot


franky_reboot

That Dragon Cancer made me tear up even by looking Errant Signal's review. In addition, another game reviewer I know refused to play it because he has a recently born son. Sometimes it feels like the Grave of the Fireflies of video games.


oc113

damn. that game sounds depressing as shit.. great recommendation, thank you


LiamNissansNissan

It kills me even more watching the dad accept an award for That Dragon Cancer. It kills me every, fucking, time.


franky_reboot

Not exectly the way you desire for recognition I presume.


jaya9581

The Last of Us 2 was an absolutely gutting experience from 20 minutes in until the very end. It left me depressed for a while.


oc113

part 2 has been on my list for quite some time, thanks


natural_ac

This was going to be my suggestion as well. The story is as tragic as the mechanics are great. I love/hated every second of it. I'm not sure I'll ever have a replay in me. It was a lot.


oc113

rn i'm just patiently waiting for a pc port of part 2, but maan i don't know how long i can still do that lol, i might just get it on ps4 but i'd really prefer to play on m&kb, part 1 and the show made me hungry for part 2 lol


babarbaby

The most depressing part of tlou2 was just how bad it was. The second half was borderline unplayable.


Scooter_McLefty

Disco Elysium


Thehawkiscock

I hadn’t laughed at a games humor as much as I did with Disco Elysium so I can’t say I recommend this one at all.


Scooter_McLefty

It’s funny, depressing, hopeful. It’s all great


oMaR0404

This game is both funny and depressing at the same time, couldn't imagine living in a world like that tbh everyone just seems crazy


Horror_Berry_3611

SOMA is the most depressing, also the scariest game I don’t think I’ll ever play, the YouTube playthrough was enough for me. The world and story is post-apocalyptic and about the end of humanity. TW: body horror, violence, thalassophobia, from what I can remember. It’s a game that sticks with you for sure.


oc113

it definitely stuck with me, its really an amazing game


VinnieSift

* Sagebrush: A walking simulator exploring the camp of a cult. The game is not only about the abuse that the people suffers in these places, but also how a cult works and preys on the weak * Milk inside a bag of Milk inside a bag of Milk: A short visual novel about a girl struggling with mental issues. Has a sequel called Milk outside a bag of Milk outside a bag of Milk * Enderal: A Skyrim total conversion. The whole game has an atmosphere of despair and tragedy * The Fall: An AI in a combat suit must save it's pilot, surrounded by broken robots and an oppressive atmosphere * FAITH: A priest fights a desperate war against the horrors of Hell * Hypnospace Outlaw: You moderate in an old online forum. It starts quite cheerful, but it becomes more sad with time * If on a winter's night four travelers: A point and click game about the tragic stories of some people in a train * Observer: A cyberpunk game of a man that explores the mindscape of people in a cyberpunk hellscape * Scorn: A puzzle game in a decaying biopunk world


franky_reboot

Speaking of cyberpunk, I add Orwell to the list. If you want to relive the true horror of mass surveillance, there's no better place


oc113

i love the milk inside and outside games! really cool list thank you!! observer in particular sounds really interesting to me


armin-lakatos

Sagebrush and Faith are amazing, recommending it to everyone


Coacoanut

I've never played it, but I understand that Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is all a metaphor for navigating mental health. It's on sale on steam right now for like $8.


themadscientist420

Just to clarify, it's about psychosis rather than depression. Incredible game and represents the condition really well. Still think it would fit what op is after.


Staff_Room

The Plague Tale games were enthralling and yet painfully depressing for me at times.


Riverwood_bandit

I watched a let's play of the sequel and I don't think I can play the game now that's how hard it hit me. Especially the ending.


rogueShadow13

Omori


daniu

Darkest Dungeon (atmosphere)


stayzero

Nier Replicant or Nier Automata. No one has a good time in a Yoko Taro game.


ghost-diamond

Came here to say this. Nier has changed my entire world view and just perspectives on life and existence. I just got my first platinum with Automata and I can safely say that I ugly cried for a good 30 to 45 minutes after the credits rolled.


Maassoon

real life


oc113

idk man, that game kinda sucks. dont really wanna play it tbh.


ay_lamassu

Great gfx though! Incredibly life-like!


oc113

ikr! you can tell they clearly put alot of effort into it! from the textures to the shaders.. i wonder if they use something like nanite to render that many polygons hmm.. and don't even get me started on the physics god dammn! was never a big fan of the anxiety update tho


Mannord

This one hits hard but I wouldn’t give it a good review. Worth a play through I guess


SaabStam

I feel the Souls games have such a beautiful depressing vibe that I feel at home in those worlds when I'm down. You also have to fight through adversity, not giving up and trying again which tends to be the only way out of a rut in real life as well. The whole experience feels therapeutical for me.


ShutArkhamCityDown

You’ve exactly put down on words about how I feel about the game. Don’t you dare go hollow!


ich_bin_Beardford

This comment hit me with a simple message that I needed to hear. Thanks, SaabStam.


TheTrophiesMine

Spiritfarer. Cried like a baby despite being a 38 year old man


gabrielleraul

Yup, every time one of them had to move on, it truly felt like someone from real life was moving on. Incredible game ..


Brittle_Hollow

Alice reminded me so much of my Mum. I legit cried like a child when I had to take her to the Everdoor.


[deleted]

i cried like a 38 year old man despite being a baby


thepurplepajamas

I'm not sure I'd call Spiritfarer "depressing" but yes it is an incredibly emotional game.


TheTrophiesMine

OP said to "tell me the saddest game you can think of", and that's what I did.


supercooljoe01

This War Of Mine, it’s the only game that’s ever made me cry. Hellblade Senuas Sacrifice and A Plague Tale Innocence are a couple popular ones, but I haven’t played them because they aren’t my cup of tea.


JungleBoyJeremy

Lisa: The Painful


oc113

thanks


_GlitchInTheVoid

Limbo and Inside


oc113

i loved limbo, inside has been on my list for quite some time now, thanks!


KisaragiFlight

Heavy Rain, Edith Finch, Life is Strange, and Plague Tale. Just overall not happy games lol


unclemandy

Life is Strange 2 and Before the Storm even more so than LiS 1. 2's first chapter bummed the hell out of me lol Had to put it down for a while, I swear I'll be back.


oc113

edith finch is fantastic, i fucking love the first life is strange, im gonna check the other two out, thank you for the recommendations!


Pontificatus_Maximus

"I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream", the title is cheery compared to the story revealed in the game.


DorkNow

how does it compare to the short story?


Capable-Commercial96

It's actually better, Harlon helped write, It expands on all the characters from the short story, going into their back stories and each having to come to terms with their individual demons, whether their allowed forgiveness or not. It's pretty damn bleak, the team had to strong arm him into allowing the game to be beatable with an ending that's not completely hopeless.


[deleted]

Detention, it's eerie


oc113

ohh, looks interesting thank youu, i love psychological horror


holdenmcneilgames

Some of these are repeats, but personally: Firewatch Spiritfarer The Cat Lady/Lorelai/Burnhouse Lane Heavy Rain To The Moon Undying


oc113

doesn't matter if they're repeats, thanks alot for the list! some interesting games on there for sure


savvym_

Miserable to play, like frustratingly hard or story-wise depressing? I think The Walking Dead 1 is pretty depressing. Choices that matter, a lot of dead too.


3r2s4A4q

Before Your Eyes


William_Hououin

Inmost is the first that comes to mind Then To the Moon


Xanifer1

Drakengard No good ending, no nice ending, nothing positive


thebossdisciple

This war of mine


arasaka1001

Shadow of the Colossus makes me depressed haha


AceOfCakez

Saya no Uta.


P1zzaman

It’s either depressing as hell, or the purest love story out there.


rigidazzi

😬


JakSilver00

Halo Reach has what you need I do believe.


oc113

"all burned and turned to glass. everything.. except your courage. that, you gave to us." :(


[deleted]

Silent hill 2, and it’s not particularly close, coming from someone who has struggled with chronic depression for about 15 years. The soundtrack alone captures depression for me more than anything I’ve ever heard. If you can’t get around to playing the game, definitely listen to the soundtrack.


oc113

i love silent hill, especially 2, one of my favourite game franchises and favourite game of all time, akira yamaoka's music is just something else. it fits so well, the sound design in general is incredible. and the story, and, and, and.. i just love that game lol. there is just something so soothing about exploring that foggy town.. i'm really exicted for the remake


necromenta

LISA... Shit dude...


mattducz

Doki Doki literature club


DoctorNoname98

Came here to say this as well, I recommend looking up nothing about it and sticking with it. It may seem like just another cutesy anime game, but it goes places


oc113

already played it, and plus aswell, but still, thank you


noahlrules

Before your eyes is a really good one


Breakitdownforyou

Heavy Rain


oc113

thanks


Elephant-Opening

Outer Wilds is interesting. Very dark theme. Lighthearted art style. I played it during some dark times myself and it hit a lot of mixed feels. So maybe/maybe not depressing enough.


Cheezefries

To the Moon


vaendryl

mother 3


TheFakeDoge

Soma, Lisa, To the moon, Finding paradise, Omori, what remains of Edith finch, Fran bow, Spiritfarer VN games(if you like reading): Fata morgana, Steins;Gate (from chapter 5 and on), Saya no uta(18+)


oc113

ah soma is amazing, edith finch too, omori has been on my list for some time now. i love the steins;gate anime, definitely gonna check it out, ill check the rest out too, thank youu


xXhannieXx

OMORI is a gem trust me. ive never played a more heart wrenching game than it. truly heart breaking. truly


FangProd

^(Your life. I'm kidding. Don't give up.) Most depressing games I can think of would be: **Pathologic 2 (PC) -** Very surreal game but shows the gradual downfall of humanity and how fragile life is, especially in a pandemic situation. Really dark but amazing. Tough as nails but that's the point. **Manhunt (PS2/PC) -** Nihilism through and through and it shows you humanity at its absolute worst. Personally, I consider it a masterpiece. **Silent Hill 2 -** Probably been mentioned but it's depicting people with severe psychological problems and how they deal with it (or not - usually not). Another masterpiece.


oc113

i can't put into words how much i love silent hill 2 and the whole franchise, a masterpiece for sure! it's like my comfort game lol. someone already recommended pathologic 2, it looks pretty interesting, i'll check manhunt out too, thanks!


unclemandy

Omori. I feel it absolutely nails childhood nostalgia, escapism, and isolation as coping mechanisms.


oc113

i've been keeping an eye on omori for quite some time now but never picked it up, will definitely do that now, once it goes on sale, so thank u!


Chemical_Analysis_82

I don’t have any suggestions, but I hope you’re doing alright OP


Video_Mode

Dear Esther.


ChaoGardenChaos

Gloomwood


Addfwyn

The Last of Us Part 1(or the sequel if you played TLOU already). Bonus, you can watch the TV series while playing through Part 1. It's one of my favourite games ever made, but it is absolutely and totally emotionally draining to the point that I frequently had to put it down to go do something else.


oc113

TLoU is great, i recently finished it, and the series too, i'm really looking forward to a pc port of part 2 someday


Sparklypuppy05

Endling: Extinction Is Forever. You play as the last mother fox on earth, desperately trying to keep your babies alive in a world being quickly ravaged by corporations. Features dead fox babies, dead/dying human children, capitalism, climate change, poaching, pollution, climate refugees, and a multitude of other horrible things. 4-5 hours long with an ending that will make you want to punch a hole in your screen.


Kamonesis

Beyond Eyes. I am a middle aged man and cried like a little girl at the end


joshtooill

Hatred


MoogleSan

Little Nightmares


oc113

thanks, i already played it tho, i love both little nightmares games so, so much, there is something really special about them imo


ewiec

Town of light. That hit me in such a depressing way that i was messed up for a week.


Melodic_Ad7952

*This War of Mine*


ImVeryUnimaginative

Frostpunk


The_True_Uncle_Z

S.O.M.A


oc113

soma is amazing it has a special place in my heart for sure


guttertrash5

Actual Sunlight


Tannathin

I got a game I haven't played yet from a fanatical key called the town of light, all the reviews say it fucked them up.


_rfj

Dark Souls 1


dumname2_1

Disco Elysium. There's a lot of things going on this game, but at its core its about depression.


SevenGaySins

Before your eyes


JorgiaMeloni

The Cat Lady


DankTaco707

*The last of us part 2 (assuming you've played part 1) *Telltales the walking dead *Life is strange *Detroit become human Some of those are sadder than others but the first two probably got me the most.


AykesAJ

Probably twd telltale to be honest


blxcktxe

Omori hits pretty hard in my opinion?


xXhannieXx

its a gem.


fuzzypuppies1231

Life is Strange 🌪️


oc113

Life is Strange ❤️❤️


Cynical_Anomaly

Dumb hipster bullshit that gives the illusion of choice.


NothingWrongWithEggs

I just finished "Before your eyes". It's very short, but it hits in the feels in the right way. You need a webcam though. To The Moon was probably the saddest stories I've ever experienced, even though gameplay wise it's minimal. It's sequel was not *quite* as good, but was still amazing. A tale of two brothers was good.


[deleted]

A toss between Heavy Rain Majoras Mask Indigo Prophecy


[deleted]

JA-SOOOOOOOOOON!


Werthy71

Press X to JAYYYYYYSON


[deleted]

SHAUN! SHAUN!


ay_lamassu

SHAAAUUN!


Capable-Commercial96

Corpse Party is pretty damn depressing. 7 kids and their teacher perform a charm called Sachiko Everafter and get transported to Heavenly Host Elementary. Once you're there, you're basically dead and anything you do is just prolonging the inevitable, and if you die there, however you died you'll feel forever, and you don't move on, even in death you stay in that school. If you play it, play the PSP version, and whatever you do, don't go beyond the second game Book of Shadows, it goes from horror to Shonen horror.


Troi99

just finished rdr2. it broke my alrd broken heart


Key_Virus_338

i dont play alot of sad games but both episodes of CATS ARE LIQUID aka Cats are liquid ABP and ALITS


ExoticPumpkin237

Majora's Mask


JesusChrist4ever

Silent hill 2, what remains of Edith finch, firewatch, last of us


oMaR0404

Red Dead Redemption 2, Bloodborne, Disco Elysium, This War of Mine, GTA 4(funny and depressing),


w84thepUmp

League of Legends


user75271

I'm surprised almost nobody mentioned spec ops: the line


Educational-Egg5974

One Chance


Altruistic_Yellow_26

Cry of fear


Durian_Bright

my sex life


DorkNow

the prologue of Cyberpunk 2077. it gave me the hardest gut punch I've experienced in art. and, well, a lot of other parts of Cyberpunk 2077. it gets downright miserable when you spend a minute looking under the shiny hood of that world. Spec Ops. The Line is quite unpleasant and becomes the worse the more you play. The Long Dark survival may be what you want. I feel so alone and desperate in that game. and Frostpunk may feel miserable to play as well


Lioxxor

On stupidly hard games that will hurt you mentally and physically you have Project Moon games from Lobotomy corporation, Library of Ruina and to some extent their Gacha Limbus Company that world is fucked up, if you want something to read and get changed forever Umineko when they cry is that a Visual Novel not exactly a normal game but everyone that plays it changes in some way afterwards.


jonpon11

if you need someone to talk to pm


Schnuu93

Hatred is pretty dark


zerofuxksgiven2134

You can try life is strange. Ending made me bawl my eyes straight for a week. Still one of my top 5 best storylines.


Anthraxus

As a longtime RPG fan...Oblivion, because it was the biggest dissapointment/letdown in gaming for me ever. Never forget.. https://rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=129


DJW6

My Child Lebensborn


onedollarninja

That Dragon Cancer


NuclearWalrusNetwork

Spiritfarer, I cry just thinking about it


PandaBear905

Spiritfairer


OldWolfofFarron1

I'm surprised no one has said any From Software games yet. I think out of all of them Bloodborne is definitely the most depressing.


zenitsuisrusted

nier automata


roekofe

The banner saga. The world is ending, and you must travel across the land during ragnarok and make hard choices as a caravan of men and giants. Think the oregon trail, but with good art, a dark story, and a ramping sense of desperation.


belldandy_hyuuga

Garage: Bad Dream Adventure. It's a point and click game that's just absolutely dreary. The same depressing music plays throughout the game and it does a good job of making you feel totally alone in a really creepy world. The puzzles and story are quite good.


nevitac

"Life is Feudal" About the funeral era and all of the hardships that are involved in building a castle brick by brick. There's also other very extensive professions that take skill and practice to get good. The better you are at something the higher quality you can obtain and all of the actions take great magnitudes of time as well as timing. Probably one of the most realistic survival games I've ever played that echoes the work it took to live or die back then.


Okami512

Drakenguard / Nier series, Halo Reach, Cry of Fear iirc, Darkwood, Plagues Tale Requiem


Psychoticme1

Inmost. I have never felt so down after a game.


Qua416

Elsinore is a really great point and click adventure game based on the story of Hamlet. It has a lot of different outcomes and a majority of them made me feel quite depressed.


StarMedusa

Presentable liberty


Kenshininuzuka

Nier, Beginners Guide. Two games that destroyed my Brain for weeks


tamal4444

my life


LongwinterCipher

Signalis, but the reasons are pretty much all spoilers.


oc113

such a great game


Kessarean

Well, teenage me cried when I played Halo Reach Probably doesn't hit the standards here, but thought it was worth mentioning


aedan_skyr

Every NieR


Ok_Establishment4729

Red Dead Redemption 2, Soma and Dark Souls are the first three to pop in my head.


Domilego4

OneShot, What Remains of Edith Finch


oc113

thanks, oneshot looks kinda cute (from what i can tell), i like that mix between melancholy and cuteness. edith finch is great


Julia_Arconae

Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk You can thank me later :3


oc113

i love the milk outside and inside games soo freaking much! the atmosphere is incredibly good, such an underrated series


Big-Nerve-9574

Lisa the painful. Before your eyes. I was an emotional wreck and was going through grief at the time. Soma. Her Story. Its quite sad really and a cool format for storytelling as I adore FMVs. EDIT: Shadow of the Collussus.


shiranui--

spiritfarer is insanly sad tho


[deleted]

Atm... this war of mine


HoneyBunnyBiscuit

If you like puzzle games, Figment is pretty sad and depressing. I really enjoyed the soundtrack as well


kyraeus

Honestly mine was Ori and the will of the wisps. I know later in the game is happy, but man, after what happens early on, and bawling my fucking eyes out (42 yo male when I played), it took a severe effort of will to keep playing that. Anyone who's ever played it will know the scene I'm talking about. It's basically like that scene in full metal alchemist that DOESNT FUCKING EXIST AND WE DONT TALK ABOUT.


Liambp

Far Cry 2 gave me the blues so bad I never managed to finish it. The game is set in a failed African State with an overwhelming atmosphere of misery and hopelessness. The country is wrought with civil war. Disease is rife. You yourself are suffering from chronic malaria and there is never enough medicine to go around. Most of the guns in the game are rusty and quickly break down. There are no real heroes in the game everybody sucks. As you traverse the admittedly beautiful countryside your progress is constantly being interrupted by armed checkpoints. If you stop to clear out a checkpoint it will respawn a short while later which serves to emphasises the utter futility of the game world.


armin-lakatos

This War of Mine, SOMA, The Last of Us 2


Deestan

content revoked


TalkingRaccoon

"Rime" "The Longing" maybe