Looking for a depressing game.

[Mikejames]

The Silent Hill series certainly has some great titles. And Limbo's a good one if you're in the mood for dark/oppressive atmosphere.

The Walking Dead games are very depressing, much more so than the TV series in my opinion. There's an overwhelming sense of impending doom. It might come off as contrived to some but I thought it nailed the bleak atmosphere without being too melodramatic.

I'll second that (for Telltale's first season at least).

What made Walking Dead hit so hard was the fact that you saw people at both their best and their worst. It wasn't just one depressive slog, there was proper buildup, with time to breathe and see what these people were fighting for.

A most likely orphaned child still trying to hold on to hope, a man who realizes how far he would go to prioritize his family, a woman who feels forced into a thankless leadership role when people start turning on each other, etc. Understanding that no one in your group was inherently bad makes it all the more painful when people are ultimately driven to extremes out of fear and desperation.

 

[Smigglebops]

The Last of Us was fairly depressing for me, but you may find it forced I suppose.

 

[Starbird]

Bioshock Infinite. Seriously, that game (especially the mini sequels) was an absolute downer.

 

[Sateru]

Silent Hill 2 is the most depressing game I've ever played. It begins with the story. Everything else feels like a reflection on the story.


I was just thinking and Demon's Souls is a pretty depressing game, right? Every time I find one of those "I want to go home" messages players leave they feel very close at heart. Especially at the Tower of Latria and the Valley of Defilement. And everytime you encounter these fuckers:

I definitely agree with this person here.

Silent Hill 2 is extremely depressing, and very sobering when you reach the conclusion. Everything about that game has so much atmosphere and emotion that you'll be sucked right in and never released until the very end. It's one of the only games I've played that has actually made me cry.

The Souls series has a less depressing aspect to it, but replaces it with a sense of bleakness and futility. That your actions either delay the inevitable, or are merely wasted in the end. It is full of lore, it is probably one of those games that you need to look at the details to notice just how depressing it can be. Everything you encounter and everyone you meet seem fatigued and exhausted.

:< I wish I could offer more for you, but... the most I can give is to affirm that those ones are excellent options.

 

[Vigormortis]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Lone Survivor.

It's probably not what the OP is looking for, but the sense of lonely, isolated desperation this game exudes is practically suffocating. The atmosphere alone is depressing.

'Course, have you considered playing Postal or Postal 2, OP? Just coming to the realization that you're actually playing them is depressing enough. That coupled with the visceral nature of both games might be right up your alley.

 

[Dalisclock]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Valiant Hearts: The Great War. You know from the start it's gonna be depressing due to the fact on the title screen you see a cute dog,sad piano music is playing and it's about WW1(which is pretty much depressing just to think about).

It has cartoony graphics and some light-hearted sections(the vehicle sections are kind of silly), not to mention some levels that remind me of Metal Slug, which just makes it worse during the downer bits. The ending in particular had me crying(and I don't cry easily).

 

[Drathnoxis]

Mother 3 is a very depressing game and will give you planty of feels.

I came to recommend this game as well, it had me in tears within the first hour. It has to be one of best JRPGs I've ever played. It's unfathomable why Nintendo never released it in more countries.

OT:Majora's Mask has some fairly depressing tones to it as well.

Persona 3 depressed the heck out of me also, although I never was really satisfied with the ending.

 

[Jiggle Counter]

Any suggestions?

Fire Emblem: Awakening, Lunatic+ Mode...

Not a depressing game, per se, but it'll make you depressed, losing over and over and over and over and over and over again...

 

[Dalisclock]

Mother 3 is a very depressing game and will give you planty of feels.

I came to recommend this game as well, it had me in tears within the first hour. It has to be one of best JRPGs I've ever played. It's unfathomable why Nintendo never released it in more countries.

Something about Nintendo hating money, and probably because Earthbound was mismarketed so it didn't sell well.

I've also heard that both games had major legal issues regarding the soundtrack because copyright and licensing laws don't work the same way in japan as in the rest of the world, so all the cool music sampling in Earthbound caused a major legal headache bringing it across and presumably Mother 3 was facing similar problems.

 

[WhiteNachos]

It's a flash game but I thought it was really depressing, Time Fcuk (sp)

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/511754

It's a puzzle game, the puzzles are fun and not something I've seen before, and it's very depressing. It gives you a feeling of hopelessness and being abandoned, I loved it.

 

[MirenBainesUSMC]

Sure.... Try

The Last of Us
Shadows of the Colossus
Last 5 minutes of Mass Effect 3
Heavy Rain
Metal Gear Solid 3
Halo Reach

 

[Veldel]

Mother 3 is a very depressing game and will give you planty of feels.

I came to recommend this game as well, it had me in tears within the first hour. It has to be one of best JRPGs I've ever played. It's unfathomable why Nintendo never released it in more countries.

OT:Majora's Mask has some fairly depressing tones to it as well.

Persona 3 depressed the heck out of me also, although I never was really satisfied with the ending.

Im sure I know what scene made you do it. I called and told my mom I loved her when it happened the first time I played the game

 

[Drathnoxis]

Mother 3 is a very depressing game and will give you planty of feels.

I came to recommend this game as well, it had me in tears within the first hour. It has to be one of best JRPGs I've ever played. It's unfathomable why Nintendo never released it in more countries.

OT:Majora's Mask has some fairly depressing tones to it as well.

Persona 3 depressed the heck out of me also, although I never was really satisfied with the ending.

Im sure I know what scene made you do it. I called and told my mom I loved her when it happened the first time I played the game

Haha, you would be right. I think it really says something about the quality of writing that it can evoke such a response so early in the game.