Recommendations of really moody games for crummy days
Edit 2: got a notification about Cronos: The New Dawn as I was launching Steam and decided to go for it. So far... holy hell, yep! Soo much yep! Just, uuh... turn off ray-tracing...
Edit: thanks so much to everyone who chimed in, there are some awesome recs in this thread! Also, really sorry to hear so many of you can relate to such games, good thing we have'em!
I apologise if I missed anyone's comment.
OP: So, going through It™ again and my mood's really gloomy. Anyone got any good recommendations to go with my mood?
To specify, PC-only, and I'm mostly asking for atmosphere, though some mechanical goodness will not go unappreciated. Thinking of stuff like Observer, Silent Hill, Darkwood, Arx Fatalis, Fallout: NV, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Elden Ring, etc. Played most of these except Bloodborne, gathering the patience to deal with emulation.
Edit: oh, and if the story'll shred my soul to pieces, all the better! Hit me with your best shot!
I'm reluctant to suggest What Remains of Edith Finch.
It will shred you.
That's what I was going to recommend too. And very short too. It's just a rainy afternoon.
Good! Hope it does thin slices, thank you!
Limbo
Inside is great as well
Limbo and Inside, noted! Thank you both!
I say Inside. Mostly because I never beat Limbo because I got stuck, and Inside was graphically superior and super gloomy.
Oh, I don't mind outdated graphics, grew up in the 90s and it's all we had:)) Mechanical difficulty isn't a problem, either, because it plays into my masochistic tendencies!
How about The Long Dark? A struggle to survive in a cold, dead world. The atmosphere is superb and I think it pairs well with a melancholy mood. Sorry to hear you're dealing with crap.
Came here to post this, as well.
Thank you both! Gonna look into it, had it in the back of my mind for a while.
I've heard Spiritfarer is quite emotional.
Oh boy, this is a game that absolutely ripped my heart out. I've never been great at saying goodbye, I did everything I could before the first goodbye and then I quit. I loved the game, but it hits me in a strange soft spot.
Brothers is kinda similar to provide a recommendation.
It is. Its also maybe not the best game to play when you're struggling. I played it when I lost a close family member and I became a wreck for weeks
It helped me process the loss, but it drew all of my emotions out in the process
Well, that's what I'm looking for, honestly. Trying to burn the hurt out in a way, and it's easier to process when in a context where such issues are analysed.
Ooh, and it looks so sweet and wholesome!❤️ Thank you, will give it a whirl!
Sunless Sea is moody, gloomy, weird and beautiful. Music is hauntingly disturbing and nostalgic at the same time. It’s a weird mix of roguelike, trading&combat sim that’s heavy on choose your own adventure narratives while exploring lots of unique locations.
Yet another one I already own and completely forgot about, thank you!
It doesn't have much of a pre-defined story to it, but I would say Project Zomboid is pretty moody and has a lot of gameplay depth.
Really does look moody, and I love the strategy bits! Thanks, definitely wishlisted!
Awesome! If this is your type of thing, you may be in for some amazing experiences, particularly if you can play it multiplayer with friends or on a good server. Look up some good Project Zomboid video reviews or fan trailers to get an idea.
Dying Light
Hardspace Shipbreaker (Solid story, Hating on a Doloris Umbridge type character)
Dredge
Thank you! I've played quite a bit of Dying Light back when it came out, lots of fun in co-op!
As for Hardspace Shipbreaker and Dredge, the first I wanted to try for a while (big fan of Space Engineers), and the second looks like "life as a background character in a Lovecraftian story," so awesome!
Last of us is an obvious answer I think if you haven't played either of those games. The exact opposite of your request, when I am feeling as you describe I really recommend wandersong. The game is like therapy, it looks campy and stupid at first but the dialogue has incredible depth and uplifting vibes.
Thank you! Wanted to play those two when they released them for PC, but then I've read about technical issues and I kinda' forgot about both.
As for playing games which fit my mood, I prefer to let things burn themselves out, make sure there's no unfinished business left. Pouring more fuel on the fire genuinely helps, horror/gloom makes me feel less alone.
Thomas Was Alone
It's not at all like the examples you give but it is such a good game that I think fits nicely here.
Never heard about it until now, but it does sound very interesting from the Steam blurb! Thank you!
Maybe the little nightmares games?
I've had my eye on them for a while, but they look so cute to me that I feel I need a better mood to really enjoy them.
I suppose they could be looked at in that way...
I found them to be both thrilling and frightful.
Have you played Control? It was on sale recently on Steam
Just finished that one, I fucking loved it, but that story just sort of brick walls at the end in a way that made me want a sequel really bad. I want more SCP inspired games like Control, the setting and anomalous items alone make for a great game.
Yepyep! On my NG+ currently, it's my form of Story Mode:))
Hollow Knight (more so than Silksong tbh)
Night in the Woods (not the same vibe as the games you mentioned but absolutely a “had a bad day” vibe)
I immediately thought of NitW too!
Hollow Knight looks absolutely gorgeous, but I'm intimidated by it:))
Night in the Woods is on my list, likewise looks gorgeous, and from the few things I've heard about it, it sounds deeply thoughtful!
For both rich atmosphere and unique game mechanics, you could do a lot worse than Return of the Obra Dinn.
If you're unfamiliar, the presentation evokes early PC (or Mac, more specifically) black and white "1 bit" games, but real time 3d. This already is very distinctive, but the gameplay also sets it apart.
You are an insurance investigator with a magic pocket watch which allows you to travel back to the moment in time that someone expired, if you find their corpse. From these brief flashes (and by cross-referencing the ship manifest) you piece together what happened to all the crew and passengers on the ships ill-fated voyage, before it's baffling reemergence years after the fact.
Oh, I've known about this one, been avoiding Grim Beard's review of it since it came out=)) This one looks so artful that I need to be in the right state of mind, otherwise I'd do it a disservice.
Blasphemous (only the first one), This War of Mine, Valiant Hearts, Papers Please, Pathologic
Edit: Strange Horticulture, Arctic Eggs, and Lies of P
Is Blasphemous 2 not as good? I haven't played either but they're on my wishlist
The second game feels to me much less unique, compared to the first, especially the atmosphere. It's still a good game, just not what I expected from the sequel
Thanks so much, this is certainly a lot of material!
I have an off-and-on playthrough of Blasphemous going on my Deck, I love the atmosphere and the story, plus the art direction is gorgeous!
Have played a bit of Papers Please and Pathologic, but didn't have the proper mood for the first, and found it hard to get over the traversal hump in the latter.
Outer Wilds. Best game ever made. Stick with it.
I've had this one installed for over a year now, but I'm scared of it:)) Same happened with SIGNALIS, can't explain it.
Gemini Rue is a great point'n'click with a wonderfully somber and dark atmosphere, and a tremendously good story.
I'd also recommend Night in the Woods, and Sally Face.
The first two Thief games are also very dark (literally), and are some of the finest stealth games ever made, with good stories to boot.
I've played Gemini Rue on my phone obsessively, great game!
Night in the Woods and Sally Face both look like the kind of games which one underestimates then ends up sobbing after 12 non-stop hours, like SIGNALIS. Thank you!
Oh, I've "used" the first two Thief games so much that I've sanded off any matte they had left:))
STALKER, it's story may not wreck you but the monolith will.
If you want to be kicked in the dick play the anomaly mod, pretty sure it's free and doesn't require the games.
Ooh, played them all, repeatedly! Have a second run of 2 ongoing, but these are closer to comfort games to me. Playng STALKER or Vew Vegas feels like coming home:))
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not always gloomy. The world is actually quite beautiful in most places. But its start to tears time is about 30 minutes.
Time to subsequent tears depends on your playstyle.
Sounds fuel-efficient, thank you! Definitely looking into it!
Have fun, I think it really is one of the best games of the last decade.
Thanks so much! That's high praise!
Cat Lady, if you like adventure games, or Oxenfree?
I've been morbidly attracted to Cat Lady for a very, very long time now, but what I've heard about it makes me feel like it'd be too much in times of crisis. That feels more like a "I'm feeling ok, let's hurt myself a bit" kinda' game to me.
Oxenfree looks really cool, looks like it'd make for a comfy bed game! Thank you!
Cat Lady has a dark story, but not in a way that made me feel powerless or depressed. To me, it's the story of a person who has almost given up, finding genuine friendship and developing the strength to face and deal with her past traumas. I found the ending powerful in a life-affirming way. It is intense, though. And affected by your own choices. Maybe something for a better time.
Subnautica works for me on days like these. It's atmosphere, the clever design of how to explore more of the story and the constant danger. I also really like the ending, but I won't say more about that, cause spoilers.
I love the idea behind Subnautica, but my thalassophobia still gets the better of me:)) They made that aspect of it perfectly:))
darkest dungeon?
Played it and it's very good for the mechanical buzz, but to me it feels pretty mild in the emotional department. Good game, though!
If you just wanna take a spooky road trip try out Pacific Drive!
This sounds like a nice "Deck in bed" game, thanks!
Oh I can totally see that
Don't starve
Still need to give that one a try, thank you!
You might like ori
I have it in my library, but I'm scared of it=)) A friend of mine played it and cried his ass off, and he really isn't someone who does a lot of crying!:))
It's not that sad. Tis sad tho.
If you liked Observer, I'll recommend Soma. I just had to sit back and think for a couple hours after I finished it
Omg, I completely forgot about Soma... and I even own it! Thank you!
These are basically ancient, but if you want to feel like crap.
Thank you! Have'em all in my library, I really should check my backlog...
The long dark is a harsh winter survival game with a gloomy story (dlc). https://store.steampowered.com/app/305620/The_Long_Dark/
Peripeteia- Dark cyberpunk imsim. Obviously inspired by GitS and deus ex. I’d consider it pretty dark and pessimistic but lots of fun to play around in and explore the different ways you have to solve a problem.
This one's also giving me heavy E.Y.E. vibes, I love that! Definitely gonna check it out, thank you!
the hunter call of the wild is my go to for depression gaming. very peaceful generally, walking around tracking animals. if you follow the story you often times end up cleaning up a reserve from trash and left behind tents etc. the hunting is ethical in the story too. gotta keep populations low because yada yada. its gorgeous aswell, very slow. really a good one. and every now and then you'll encounter a mythical animal and track it for 4 real world hours tryna get it for your trophy case.
Oh, that really does sound relaxing, I'll keep it in mind! Thank you!
Darkwood.
Well, I could do a replay, but I'm trying to find something new. Awesome game, though!
Mother 3.
I've read/listened to a lot about Earthbound/Mother, maybe it's time to play them.
You have so many great recommendations so i am gonna add more.
Gulf Club Nostalgia/Wasteland: when depression hits hard why not hit it harder with a tale of nostalgia for a world we have not yet lost.
Simple golf game but the radio station is... A lot.
To the Moon: the whole series is just what if all we could give those dying the happiness of a lie implanted in their memories and what can we provide for those still living who dont get it so easy?
Among the Sleep: just a 2 year old kid and your mom has gone missing and the world is so scary in the dark.
To The Moon broke me man
The rest of that series is like that too.
Ooh, boy, thank you! Yep, all of these sound like they could fit, the golf one especially when the Dip comes!
Dear Esther and Kentucky route zero for the music and atmosphere, elden ring for the atmosphere and challenge. Something with an engaging story planescape torment & torment tides of numenera.
All are at least on my radar, Elden Ring and Planescape: Torment are old friends of mine at this point. Thank you!
Have you played journey? It's great in my opinion the music and visuals bringe up every time I play it the end he sequence has made me cry in a few occasions.
Nooo, it's another one I forgot!:O Thank you, I loved the concept when first hearing about it!