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Games that may exercise your empathy

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shortcakey

After seeing threads about wars, political issues and feeling people's insensibility is, for some reason, strong on gamer community, I remembered there are some sensations that games can convey better than other media. It won't change the world, but it can help people who like that kind of game.

The classic example of recommendation is This War of Mine, that makes you face the cruel reality of a war for average people and ethical dilemmas that kinda lose meaning in the context of a crude, terrible situation.

Do you have any other recommendations? Have your life/mind ever changed even a little bit by playing a game that touched you?

6 months ago*

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18 Comments
Foxpile

Kind Words.

6 months ago
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Johamburger

Ooh thanks for the reminding me this game exist. Played it over 4 years ago and it was really special. Might hop on again, hope there are still active players.

6 months ago
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Foxpile

I am still there every now and then, just opened 3 replies that made my heart skip a beat, this game is such a blessing. It's way slower than it used to be though. Hopefully by reminding people of its existence it will become more active again. One can wish.

6 months ago
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shortcakey

Wow. I didn't think the first recommendation would be a non-sad game. Truly unexpected!

6 months ago*
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JMM72

Actually I'm too empathic (too thin skin, yes) and I tend to avoid this kind of games. Probably this game is my #1 place in my top list of "games that I'm terrified to play". I'm scared I might read something really heartbreaking.

6 months ago
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AndyFrost

Recently released Torn Away. Not only it perfectly fits under this category but also grants some associated with war time emotions (feelings of loss, hopelessness, uncertainty).

6 months ago
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shortcakey

Really interesting, especially taking into consideration it's based on a named war from real life, unlike This War of Mine, which has inspirations, but doesn't name any real event.

6 months ago
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Navaro

That dragon, cancer.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/419460/That_Dragon_Cancer/

I also played this war of mine. But I quit with it since some comments hit home really hard.
Might give it a chance again since it was a couple of years ago now...

6 months ago
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GreekHobo

Telltale's The Walking Dead Season One. (Mostly the ending) - the joy of caring for someone, the will to defend them from the cruelty, the hard decisions, the powerlessness, the inevitability.

Nier Automata. (Overall themes and ending) - oof I don't even know where to start with this one. I guess it makes you ask "what makes you human"? Your flesh? You consciousness? Your emotions?

Life is Strange: Before the Storm (oh god the ending) - If you played the original LiS, you know how the story ends for one of the characters, but it hurts a lot more when they actually show you without showing. It's the implications. The ending broke me. You think you know someone, until you don't.

6 months ago
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Arthur13

To The Moon (https://store.steampowered.com/app/206440/To_the_Moon/) and Finding Paradise (https://store.steampowered.com/app/337340/Finding_Paradise/).

6 months ago
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Navaro

forgot about To the moon, thx for the reminder.

6 months ago
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damianea103

The Beginner's Guide and Secret Little Haven come to mind.

6 months ago
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Almostn33t

I would say Before Your Eyes.

6 months ago
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ExcelElmira

I would say that some RPGs are pretty good at this. Skyrim's civil war is so nuanced that people nowadays are still fighting online about what's the right thing to do. And on top of that there's some racial discrimination with a very complex history behind it. If you take it seriously, it exercises your empathy quite a bit.

6 months ago
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caelensar

For me, its Rakuen , Papers, Please and The Red String Club, also Fallout series, War...War never changes.

6 months ago
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JMM72

Despite its apparent simplicity, Papers Please can bring really hard moments to the mind, ethical vs survival decisions. Naive of me, I thought it was just a paperwork game until I started to feel discomfort by rejecting some people. I certainly invite people to play it if they're looking for a different experience.

6 months ago
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Mitsukuni

From the ones not written here, I gotta add; Goetia, OMORI, Her Story, Tales of Berseria

6 months ago
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shortcakey

Thanks, I'm wishlisting almost every game mentioned here!

6 months ago
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