Discover 7 emotional games that will make you cry. Check them out for unforgettable experiences, from AAA adventures to unforgettable indie stories.
Sometimes you finish a game and jump straight into the next one. Other nights you set the mouse/keyboard or controller down and just sit there, letting the last piano note ring while the credits crawl. Your chest feels tight. Your eyes sting in a way you hope no one notices. That is the power of emotional games. They do more than entertain. They walk into your life, find the places where you still care, and hold on. The best of them feel like memories you lived rather than levels you cleared and beat. They feel like conversations you had with versions of yourself you had not met yet.
If you are hunting for good story games that put heart over high scores, or for games that will make you cry in the best possible way, this list is for you. From blockbuster tragedies to whisper-quiet indie heartbreaks, these seven emotional games show how interactive stories can be more intimate than any movie or TV show and can make you feel more personal than any page in a book. Bring tissues. Bring an open heart. Let these worlds talk to you and talk back.
(Mild Spoilers)
7. The Last of Us Franchise
Few emotional games cut as deep in the opening hour of The Last of Us games. Few emotional games break players so quickly. The opening moments follow Joel and his daughter Sarah as a normal night spirals into panic, ending with a loss that leaves him hollow. Years later, Joel meets Ellie, a girl who might be humanity’s last hope. Together they cross a ruined America, surviving monsters and men while slowly learning to trust each other. By the end, the story asks what you would sacrifice for someone you love, which makes this one of the unforgettable games that will make you cry. The Last of Us is messy and painfully human, and the final decision lingers like a bruise.
6. Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus proves that good story games do not need pages of dialogue to hit hard. You play as Wander, a young man on a quest to revive a girl named Mono by defeating sixteen towering colossi across a lonely, windswept land. Each victory feels hollow as the creatures collapse in slow motion and the skies darken above you. When the truth about your journey comes to light, it is clear that Shadow of the Colossus is not about saving someone at all but about the cost of obsession, and it stays with you long after you put the controller down.
5. Frozen Essence
Frozen Essence is an indie title with a story bigger and more impactful than many blockbuster releases. You wake in a crystal prison with no memory of who you are or who to trust. Every choice shapes relationships with the people around you and reveals pieces of a world filled with magic, betrayal, and fate. Some paths lead to hope, others to heartbreak, and for an indie visual novel released years ago, the game remembers everything you do. The more you learn about each character and their paths, the more you learn about them, feel for them, and understand why they behave the way they do. It is one of those emotional games that quietly sneaks up on you until the final moments leave you stunned. And what’s surprising is that the project was mostly created by a single person!
4. Life is Strange
What if you had the power to go back in time and reverse your decisions? Or prevent the loss of a close friend? Things would be perfect right? Well, maybe not. Life is Strange is a story about a teen named Max, a photography student who discovers the ability to rewind time. She uses it to prevent the death of her closest friend. Together they try to uncover the dark secrets of Arcadia Bay, but they soon learn how every action has its consequences. When the storm finally comes, you must make the ultimate decision. Few games that will make you cry feel as raw and personal as Life is Strange where you experience a mix of teenage friendship and impossible decisions you will think about for days.
3. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
One of the best games released in 2025, this game is set in a fantasy world where the mysterious Gommage erases people above a certain year from existence, and every year this number keeps on decreasing. Expedition 33 follows a group of travelers on a mission to break this curse and stop the “Paintress”, the being responsible for these deaths. Along the way, you share campfires, hear confessions, and prepare for a journey where you might watch people you care about fade into nothingness. The journey is haunting and beautiful, filled with quiet moments that hit even harder than the battles. Players found themselves crying even during the starting of the game. If you are seeking emotional games with depth and sorrow, Expedition 33 is one will leave its mark on you.
2. Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption is about John Marston, a man trying to leave his outlaw past behind. However, the government forces him to hunt down the old gang members he once called friends, promising freedom when the job is done. As John fights to reunite with his wife and son, he faces off against his former mentor and sees the impact of civilization as the Wild West era begins to die. Red Dead Redemption is storytelling at its finest, a classic among good story games and one of the reasons players still talk about it years later. However, make sure to play the sequel before you play this, if you want to experience the story chronologically!
1. Red Dead Redemption 2
And on top of our list of emotional games that will make you cry is none other than Red Dead Redemption 2. You play as Arthur Morgan, a hardened outlaw trying to survive in the dying Wild West. He is forced to do nothing but watch his gang fall apart as loyalty collides with greed and survival. Over time Arthur begins to question the life he has lived, finding unexpected kindness in a world sliding toward tragedy. Red Dead Redemption 2 is more than a game; it is an emotional experience that proves why good story games can stay with you forever.
Check out 5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Playing Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2025
Final Thoughts
These seven emotional games show us how powerful interactive storytelling can be. They are not just games that will make you cry. They are journeys that invite you to care, to care about characters you thought you wouldn’t give two cents about. If you are searching for good story games that you will still be thinking about next week, next month, or years from now, start here. When the credits end, sit in the silence for a moment. Let whatever rises meet you where you are. That is where the best stories live.
