Video games have been in the public consciousness since the '70s and "Pong," but haven't really been viewed as an artistic medium capable of making people openly weep like films have. That is, until the 2010s when a handful of indie games hit the scene and showed that you could not only tell a fantastic story worthy of a novel or TV show, but you could make Twitch streamers cry on camera.

The indie boom of those years was a major step forward for the industry, and these are among the greatest games ever made (despite how sad they can be). If you want a powerful, emotional story to play through, these are you best bets.

'Gone Home' (2013)

This first person exploration game has you walk around your family's new home, alone at night, during a rainstorm. What initially seems like a set-up for a horror game (the lights go out, you find spooky things in the house, etc.) turns into a beautiful tale about your parents and sister, and what their lives are really like. We won't spoil the twists and turns, but rest assured, this game can have an emotional gut punch to it.

'What Remains of Edith Finch' (2017)

Another FPS adventure game, "What Remains of Edith Finch" has you explore your cursed family tree and what happened to every member as they died. Instead of examining objects, you dive into their stories and poke around in their heads, dealing with subjects like murder, poisoning, mental illness, suicide and getting knocked off a cliff by a deer. For a game about death, it sure is quite gorgeous and elegant in its depiction of all of these accidents.

'Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons' (2013)

Losing a loved one can be quite hard, especially a brother, but what makes that even harder in video games is if you need two brothers to solve puzzles together. If one of them is gone, then you're missing half of a control scheme and you're only half as powerful. That blending of storytelling and gameplay mechanics is what makes "Brothers" so memorable. So much so, it's getting a remaster soon with new graphics.

'The Walking Dead' Season One (2012)

A Game of the Year contender on its release, this is by far the most critically acclaimed project to ever come out of the "Walking Dead" franchise. This episodic 'choose-your-own' adventure game gave us two of the strongest protagonists in gaming history in Lee Everett and Clementine. Their journey through the zombie wasteland of America is devastating, and one that will never quite leave you after it's over.

'The Beginner's Guide' (2015)

While the story of the game seems believable, the game dev who made the game you're playing is telling you a story while you're playing it about the game you're playing, the entire thing is made up and totally fictitious. But it's a testament to Davey Wreden for writing something that is so relatable, human and vulnerable. Wreden voices himself as he's telling you this meta story, as interactive elements drop in and out, as you go from level to level learning about his friend who might be real. But it's the relationship between the two characters and how they deal with loneliness that makes this game sing.

'Kentucky Route Zero' (2020)

This point-and-click adventure took years to release in its piecemeal form, finally coming out as a whole in 2020. You play as Conway the truck driver, but it's very avant-garde in how it tells its story and the different ways you play the game. The soul crushing nature of capitalism is the common theme, as well as America's evolving nature and the opaque way life unfolds. If you're up to the task of unlocking this game's mysteries, then you'll have a life affirming and quite profound new look on video games once you're done with all five acts.

'Life is Strange' (2015)

If you've ever regretted your choices in life, and wish you could go back in time and re-do things, then not only are you human but you would also love "Life is Strange." You play as Max, a teenage girl who gains some pretty unique powers, and your choices have weighty consequences as you see into alternate realities where people's lives are affected quite differently depending on your choices. All of the "Life is Strange" games are excellent, but if you want to start somewhere with this series definitely try out the first, it can be quite the tearjerker.

'Valiant Hearts' (2014)

It's World War 1, and you have a dog companion. You know exactly where this is going and how sad this game can be. Ubisoft's puzzle game about "The Great War" does quite the character work to get you invested in the game, only to bring back the inevitable and brutal reality of warfare. But at least the art is adorable, which sort of makes playing through all the death and famine a little bit more tolerable.

[Image: YouTube]