Video games were erroneously seen as something exclusively for children for decades. That stigma has slowly melted away and now it is seen as something for everyone. A lot of the best games these days are targeted toward wider audiences and deal with darker themes. They usually involve combat and are filled with blood and gore. Sometimes, though, gamers just want something wholesome and heartwarming.
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However, playing something that is seemingly innocent on the surface doesn’t mean that players are avoiding mature themes. The games below all dive into topics one would not expect to find in such a game. It does not mean they are necessarily depressing or inappropriate for kids, but they will make players think a little bit or at least feel some emotion. Pixar movies do the same thing: kids can watch them, but they do not talk down to the audience.
8Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxyis easily the weirdest mainlineSuper Mariogame. Even compared toOdyssey,Galaxytakes the cake because of its cosmic aesthetic and its ending that almost feels like something out of2001: A Space Odyssey. The new character introduced in this legendary Wii game was Rosalina.
WhileRosalina is mysterious at first, players eventually learn about her past through the stories she tells. It is heavily implied that her mother passed away while she was a child.Mariogames generally never dive into anything remotely serious, so it is downright shocking for this game to imply such a tragedy.
7Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart
TheRatchet and Clankseries has always been known for its attitude, but there was never anything in it directly inappropriate past the innuendo of the games' titles. The series has always been rooted in the relationship between the two titular leads. It was therefore surprising to see the first PS5 entry,Rift Apart,go deeper than just the growing friendship and silly jokes.
Clank loses his arm at the start of the game and this injury is used to show that these losses don’t break people or make them any less valuable. Several other stories in the game express a similar theme. So much of the game is surprisingly warm-hearted despitethe humor and irreverence for which the series is known.
6Klonoa
Klonoanever quite hit the levels of popularity of its piers likeCrash Bandicoot, but it deserves respect for its unique gameplay all the same. The first game is fairly innocent and joyful until a dramatic turn where the titular character’s grandfather is killed by the main villain.
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It comes completely out of left field and is treated dramatically and with weight. The game really tries to make players feel the loss. Except for some RPGs, games of the 1990s rarely dealt with such death, let alone cutesy platformers.
5Bugsnax
Shortly afterBugsnaxcame out, everyone started talking about the dark turn it takes in the last act. If the odd creature designs and theme song by Kero Kero Benito didn’t pique gamers' interests, this revelation certainly would have.
The seemingly innocent creatures and joyous island turn out to be quite malicious. The whole island lures people to it for the sole purpose of consuming them. Just like a lot of things in life, thecarefree nature of the titular creatureswas too good to be true.
4Night In The Woods
Night in the Woodsdraws a lot of people in because of its whimsical art style. It’s a curious choice considering the game is about a young adult returning to their hometown after dropping out of college, but maybe that’s exactly the point. It’s about growing up and accepting the inevitable changes that come with becoming an adult as well as dealing with mental illness.
People move away, meetings with friends are less frequent, and the whole world itself is not the same place as it was in childhood. One wonders how many people played this one and got way more than they bargained for.
3Undertale
Undertaleestablishes itself as unique immediately, but it feels innocent for most of the game. By the end of its short campaign, though, it is revealed to be about so much more. The game criticized the player for choosing violence so easily, making them wonder why this is what games condition them to do.
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Players can then play the game again and try not to kill any enemies for a different ending. They can also kill absolutely everything for a dark conclusion. These twists and turns on the genre turnedUndertaleinto an all-time classic.
2Gone Home
Gone Homegives players a simple goal, explore the empty house to find outwhat happened to the playable character’s sister. There’s nothing scary and all players do is read notes, listen to audio diaries, and observe the environment. As the mystery unravels, however, players learn darker, but sadly relatable, secrets and troubles brewing within the family.
It also details the brewing love story between two young women, so there is some positivity. The game is super easy to play even for newcomers to gaming, yet it tells such a heartwrenching, grounded story to which many can relate.
1It Takes Two
The colorful aesthetic ofIt Takes Twoshould not fool anyone into thinking it’sa game for kids. This cooperative-only experience stars a couple on the edge of divorce who are turned into dolls by their daughter’s tears and a little bit of magic. This would make for a great animated movie, but things go a step further as the protagonists prove themselves to be selfish and argumentative, barely able to work together to solve their problems.
This comes to a head when they think killing their daughter’s favorite doll will bring them back to their human form because it will make the girl cry again.Players have to do the act themselves, which might prove to be a bit too unsettling for younger gamers.
