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10 Best Short Games With Huge Emotional Impact

Published 9 hours ago7 minute read
Best Short Games With Huge Emotional Impact

, and a lot of that is due to their interactivity.

By experiencing these adventures almost firsthand, the sensations are seared into our minds, turning us into true protagonists of impossible journeys

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Typically, this is achieved through constant exposure, which explains why long games generate greater passion—you invest more time learning about their world and becoming part of it, so the connection is more meaningful.

However, not all titles need dozens of hours to leave their mark on you. Numerous video games can deliver a lasting imprint after just a few minutes. Dive into these, and don't say we didn't warn you.

The Artful Escape

September 9, 2021

E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Alcohol Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco

Annapurna Interactive

Unreal Engine 4

PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S

Beethoven & Dinosaur

5 Hours

Strong

Unfortunately, the coming-of-age genre isn't as popular in video games, but it has provided us with valuable experiences like The Artful Escape.

Although the gameplay is basic and can even be tedious, it's ,.

This psychedelic journey of self-discovery, both personal and professional, takes place in a dreamlike setting where reflections on make you reconsider your existence.

While I admit its mechanical shortcomings are painful to me, The Artful Escape is much more than its basic gameplay. It's a thought-provoking piece that leaves you thinking for hours after finishing it, and that's more important.

An image from the game Bad Parenting, developed by 2OO2 and VN

October 9, 2024

2OO2

2OO2, VN

PC, Android

30 minutes

Although you're probably unfamiliar with it, Bad Parenting is an extremely short horror game that packs a punch.

Not only because of its striking aesthetic and ominous atmosphere, but particularly because of the way.

Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, the title takes just half an hour to tell a powerful story that leaves you feeling uneasy due to its rawness.

Bad Parenting makes up for its mechanical and plot simplicity through the emotions it generates, as .

A Short Hike Fishing off a beach
A Short Hike

April 5, 2019

E For Everyone

Adam Robinson-Yu

Adam Robinson-Yu

Unity

PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One

2 Hours

2019-07-30

No

693 MB (November 2023)

88

Mighty

A Short Hike is a marvelous climbing game that truly exemplifies how strong a story can be when it has the perfect length.

Unlike many of its kind,, desires, and needs, allowing you to quickly identify with them.

The game narrates a series of simple, relatable events, told with a sense of organic, natural, and even humorous quality that makes you feel right at home.

I don't want to spoil anything, but if you're someone who loves your family deeply or struggles with self-confidence, .

Despelote
Despelote

I'm a lifelong soccer fan, which is why Despelote left its mark on me in the best possible way.

Not only because, but because it does so while combining it with the Latin American realities of the time.

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With a distinctive aesthetic and immersive narrative, Despelote takes you on an intense journey that explores the importance of culture and communities, also touching on the nostalgia of being a carefree child again.

Despelote will have less of an impact if you're not a soccer lover or aren't from the region, but .

Gameplay from Milk Inside A Bag Of Milk Inside A Bag Of Milk
Milk Inside A Bag Of Milk Inside A Bag Of Milk

November 11, 2022

t

Ren'Py

Nintendo Switch, PC

Nikita Kryukov, Nikita Kaf Productions

Missing Calm; Forever Entertainment

20 minutes

The ability of video games to communicate experiences that otherwise couldn't be understood is truly evident in Milk Inside a Bag of Milk Inside a Bag of Milk.

I'd say I've never understood the difficulties of a person with painful psychological episodes more than through this video game, which

Not only because it's audiovisually shocking, but even more so because of its ability to teach you a world of depth with just a few dialogues and visual novel sequences.

Everyday things are routine for most of us, but Milk Inside a Bag of Milk Inside a Bag of Milk makes you recognize that .

Florence
Florence

As you grow and interact with other people, you realize more and more how difficult life is, and no video game explains this better than Florence.

Between the heartbreaks, sacrifices to achieve dreams, depression, and more circumstances we've all experienced at some point, it's .

Although it's just a series of puzzles designed for mobile, the title has the necessary interactivity to justify its nature as a video game, taking only 40 minutes to leave its mark.

It's a story as beautiful as it is heartbreaking and realistic, serving as a mirror to the reality of many lives. Florence is impressive, but also quite harsh, given how authentic it is.

Wednesdays

March 25, 2025

ARTE France

Pierre Corbinais, The Pixel Hunt, exaheva, Christophe Galati

PC

3 hours

Video games are an opportunity to convey messages of all kinds, and in this context, Wednesdays is a creation as unique as it is courageous.

In just a couple of hours, , even despite its hopeful overtones.

The pace, dialogue, and characters in this title are perfectly designed to create a powerful story, capable of .

I've rarely cried during a video game, much less one so short, but what Wednesdays achieves is to raise awareness while offering an unforgettable narrative.

Before Your Eyes FPV of laying at deathbed
Before Your Eyes

April 8, 2021

e

Skybound Games

Unity

PC, Mobile, PS5

GoodbyeWorld Games

2 Hours

79

N/A

Strong

Before Your Eyes is a video game filled with sad moments, but that's precisely why I love it so much.

Being an emotionally linear person, it's rare for me to experience such significant bursts of heartache, but.

I wasn't able to fully use the idea of ​​blinking in real life, but the mechanical concept is exceptionally innovative, complementing the larger message the game wishes to share about the afterlife, memories, and impossible expectations.

If you've experienced recent loss or are in personal grief, .

A gameplay image from the game GRIS
GRIS

Not all video games need dialogue to tell a groundbreaking story, and GRIS is the best example of such a statement.

Using music, colors, and animation to share its adventure, , showcasing the story of a young woman dealing with a painful experience.

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The game speaks to the player constantly, giving them cues through every perceptible means to help them genuinely understand what they're experiencing.

After one of the most emotional endings I've ever witnessed,. Its artistic and musical beauty will make you sensitive at first glance, but the overall picture will leave you with a lasting impression.

What Remains of Edith Finch a princess holding court

April 25, 2017

T For Teen due to Violence, Blood, Drug Reference, Language

Giant Sparrow

Annapurna Interactive

Unreal Engine 4

PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, iOS

How Long To Beat
2 Hours

PS Plus Availability
Extra & Premium

OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

What Remains of Edith Finch boasts one of the most spectacular, unpredictable, and engaging stories of recent years, with as many layers of depth as humanly possible.

The game shifts genres mechanically and visually to tell a tale of a tragic family and a young woman who only wants to understand the reason behind such inexplicable events.

Along the way, the short stories of each family member, along with their respective gameplay sections, bring you closer to a rather melancholic overview that's very difficult to detach from thanks to the game's profound immersion.

With a mind-blowing setting and a memorable soundtrack, What Remains of Edith Finch only asks for a Sunday afternoon to never leave your memory.

Between laughter, tears, pain, fury, empathy, and other sensations, this game is a roller-coaster that makes you feel everything dozens of games can't, even after hundreds of hours.

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