The Saddest Open World Games, Ranked

Key insights

• Some open-world games focus on emotional and dark storytelling rather than typical gameplay loops.
• Games like The Long Dark and Death Stranding offer players a lonely and tragic experience.
• Titles like Shadow of the Colossus and Red Dead Redemption 2 deliver deep narratives with sad, bittersweet endings.

Many open-world games focus on gameplay loops like combat, exploration, and quests. But not all open-world games focus entirely on these activities. In some open-world games, these mechanics are used as part of an overall storytelling experience, and not all stories are fun or have a happy ending.

There are some sandbox-style open world games that manage to take the player through a traumatic, desperate and often sad storyline, leading to an equally tragic ending to the game. Themes such as loss, regret and loneliness form the background of the main plot and lead to a gaming experience that is fun and entertaining, but also gives the player food for thought.

6 Ghost of Tsushima

The poor horse

Set in feudal Japan, Ghost of Tsushima is an action-adventure game that puts the player in the role of the samurai warrior Jin Sakai. The game stands out for its incredibly detailed and visually stunning open world and fluid combat system. Players set out on a journey to liberate their homeland, and this journey is driven by the plot’s grand narrative.

There are some really sad moments Ghost of Tsushimamost notably the death of the player’s horse in the final part of the game. Several NPCs with whom the player interacts closely also die in the game. The only reason Ghost of Tsushima takes the last spot on this list is because the actual environment of the game isn’t as dark and foreboding as some of the others mentioned here.

5 The long darkness

Lonely and dark

When it comes to survival games, few have managed to capture so well the emotional essence of surviving alone in a harsh and unforgiving environment The long darkness. Unlike many survival games The long darkness does not integrate the mechanics of a survival game into a larger scenario, such as fighting zombies. All the player has to do The long darkness is survival.

However, this is a game that makes survival difficult because the environment is just so dangerous. The dangers range from freezing to death to being eaten by wild animals. The game world is desolate and threatening and the players are always aware that they are completely alone. Survival is about a lonely, desperate fight against everyday life.

4 Death Stranding

Rebuilding society in a desolate world

As Sam Porter, the player takes on the task of delivering packages across the United States after a catastrophic event resulted in monsters destroying much of the Earth. This action game shows how important human connections would be in a real post-apocalyptic world.

Although Death Stranding is a fun game, it has some melancholic undertones. The landscape is destroyed and there is a constant threat of death. And as Sam Porter, the player is responsible for humanity’s survival by attempting to forge bonds between segmented groups and factions of survivors.

3 Shadow of the Colossus

An increasing feeling of fear

• Platforms: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3
• Released: October 18, 2005
• developer: Team Ico, Sony Interactive Entertainment
• genre: Action-Adventure Game, Platform Game, Puzzle Video Game, Fighting Game, Shooter Video Game

Shadow of the Colossus is an action-adventure game set in a strangely silent world. As Wander, a young man on a quest to save a girl named Mono, the player must kill sixteen colossi. The huge open world map is often scary as the game hunts every target.

The sadness in Shadow of the Colossus comes from the morally challenging decisions the player must make. On the one hand, Wander is on a dangerous, heroic quest to save his love. On the other hand, to do this they have to destroy ancient creatures. As the game progresses, it becomes clear that the player’s actions can incur high costs.

2 NieR: Automata

Androids fight against aliens

The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world where alien machines have invaded the Earth. In NieR: Automatathe heroes who defend Earth are androids. The game is known for its fast-paced gameplay and has surprisingly deep and disturbing subtext. The androids question their own identity and also the often futile way in which the war raged.

Many of the game’s characters struggle with fundamental questions about their own existence, and the main plot is peppered with heartbreaking moments. All the different endings lead the player to realize that no matter what they do, the outcome will be some tragedy.

1 Red Dead Redemption 2

Almost like losing a family

Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place in a fictional time in which the Wild West slowly gave way to a more civilized form of government and administration. That in itself is pretty sad because the Cowboys’ days are numbered. However, it is Arthur Morgan’s problems that are the most emotional in this game.

Arthur’s personal journey in the game is at times traumatic as he endures betrayal and loss, although there is redemption at the end. Arthur slowly weakens as the game progresses and becomes more and more desperate. It’s also sad how his gang, which is his surrogate family, slowly falls apart. The bittersweet ending is often praised as one of the saddest endings to a game ever.