#also I'd say ffvi and ffx but people have definitely talked about those in this thread I'm sure lol

[aqueeraphale]

Seconding a LOT on this list and also:

Cozy Grove: a casual simulation game that works on real-time a la Animal Crossing. You are a Spirit Scout, tasked with tending your campfire Flamey and caring for the spirits haunting Cozy Grove. An extremely calm and tender therapy simulator that will occasionally absolutely knock you upside the head with emotions, I adore it.

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights: a Metroidvania. You play as Lily, the last of the White Priestesses, who are able to purify and bring rest to spirits that have been blighted by the eternal Rain. Very much a melancholy game, and the atmosphere and visuals are absolutely gorgeous. Much like Hollow Knight, you piece together the lore of the world as you pass through it; unlike Hollow Knight, you do get in-game written notes to refer to. Still working on this one so I can't speak for the conclusion, but it seems very unlikely to be the kind of game that trips over its feet at the finish line.

Four Horsemen: visual novel about four marginalized teenagers living their lives. Heavily focused on examining racism; choices at the beginning influence what ethnicity the main cast are, I can't speak for every route but the Judaism based ones got me. Very heavy, take it slow, but I still quote this one to this day ("tomorrow together, or not at all").

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky: turnbased roguelite. "A fucking Pokemon game?" Yes, the DS era games did not fuck around. This game occupies the same space as Super Paper Mario, but this one is a bit more existential--about how long friendships can endure, and about how far someone is willing to go to make a better future. Maybe there's a bit of nostalgia lenses going on here but man, this one gets me.

The World Ends With You: another bizarre RPG from Tetsuya Nomura, who's behind a Lot of Square Enix properties. Definitely a rec tailored younger; it's explicitly at least 50% About being a teenager in the late 2000s/early 2010s. You play as Neku Sakuraba, a socially withdrawn and jaded teenager, who comes to in the middle of the street, intangible to passersby and under attack. It's...kind of difficult to explain the plot of this one without massive spoilers, but fuck if it didn't actively change my worldview when I was Going Through It as a traumatized and unmedicated middle schooler.

Alter Ego: definitely a more personal rec, but. Shortish mobile clicker game interspersed by personality quizzes and classical literature quotes. Uses Freudian psychoanalysis as a backdrop but you can think Freud was wrong about everything and still enjoy it. I can't quite Explain what got to me about this one but it's definitely dear to me.

moon: one of the games that inspired Toby Fox's works, and his support sparked enough interest for a recent port! It's a classic 90s adventure game in every way (weird, prerendered backgrounds with 3D models, very confusing puzzles but in a fun way?)? You travel through the world of a 90s JRPG, interacting with and assisting the creatures that the hero has gone ahead and slain. Also working on this one but I love it so far.

Also since you've played Toby Fox's games you've probably already looked into these but if not: the Mother series. Trust me everyone who's compared it to Undertale is on the right track.

By the way I'm looking for very specific games and your help is appreciated! Please let me know if you know a game which has one or several of the following criteria:

- Games that are overall poetic and story-driven

- Games about grief, mourning and/or depression, anxiety

- Games that feel like an experience and that you wish you'd be able to delete your memory to play again because you'll never feel the same

- Games that made you cry