The immersive medium of video games ensures that players can truly feel like heroes as they save the world, jump into the heat of the action, and get scared out of their wits as vulnerable protagonists. Developers do a great job of ensuring that their gameplay loops are as riveting as they come and make players feel what they want them to feel.
26 Games That Let You Play As The Bad Guy
Playing the virtuous hero who saves the day game after game gets stale, so it's always interesting when a game lets you play as the bad guy.
However, there are times when some developers can be especially cruel to players. They are forced into doing terrible things in their video games that they will almost always regret.
Kill A Cat
Omori Plays A Horrible Prank On Players
OMORI
- Released
- December 25, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Black Space is where Omori's repressed memories and darkest dreams lurk, and this is where Omocat does something horrible to players. Upon opening one of the doors, players are whisked away to a room with no exit in sight, with the family cat, Mewo, on a table with a knife nearby.
Most players feel like the only way to get out of here is to stab the cat over and over again until it becomes mush, but this isn't the case. Instead, players must stab themselves to leave this room, which will make players feel especially terrible since they didn't have to torture Mewo.
Cut Off Curly's Leg
A Traumatic Moment That Players Are Forced To Go Through
Mouthwashing
- Released
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Psychological, Horror
Despite running for less than three hours, Mouthwashing is a horrifying experience that will leave a lasting impression on players. The mind-bending story jumps around multiple points in a story, both before and after the Tulpar crashes.
One of the most harrowing moments in the game involves an insane Jimmy dragging Curly's body to the dining table, where he proceeds to cut off whatever is left of Curly's leg to cannibalize it. It's a messed-up moment, and players can't move forward until they're done severing this limb in one of the most disturbing moments in Mouthwashing.
Beat Up Thomas Downes
Led To Arthur Contracting Tuberculosis
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
While collecting debts for Mr. Strauss, Arthur is directed to the domicile of Thomas Downes, another desperate soul who is roped into Strauss' devilish ways. Since Downes doesn't have the funds to spare, Arthur decides to beat him to a pulp, with his victim coughing up some blood on him in the process.
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This is the beginning of the end for Arthur, since he contracts tuberculosis from an infected Downes. It's a moment that's hard to watch in a replay, and fans are unable to stop this mission from taking place as they're forced to get Arthur infected once again.
Decide Between V's Temporary Life And Johnny's Permanent One
Some Of The Hardest Choices V Will Make In The Series
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Cyberpunk 2077 shows a level of writing that arguably eclipses The Witcher 3, which is bound to be an incendiary statement. However, given the tough choices present in the "good" endings, it's hard not to feel this way.
After reaching Mikoshi, Alt forces players to make a very hard choice. They must either let go of Johnny and spend six months in a wasting body incompatible with them, or let a changed Johnny take over a body that gives him a second chance at life and accompany Alt as an engram. Both choices are ridiculously hard, and the discourse that followed makes it clear that fans are still divided about which conclusion is the better one for both characters.
Turn Away Desperate People
Being An Immigration Officer Is Way Harder Than It Has Any Right To Be
Papers, Please
- Released
- August 8, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Violence, Blood, Sexual Themes, Nudity, Drug Reference, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
Leave it to Lucas Pope to turn what seems like the boring job of an immigration officer into one of the most powerful and emotional video games fans can enjoy. Players work a job that pays peanuts and get penalized for every mistake they make, which jeopardizes their family's well-being.
To make things worse, the people at the border are clearly desperate and want to escape certain death... But an act of kindness for a stranger can lead to a family member starving to death. The relentless barrage of tough decisions in Papers, Please makes it a hard, unforgiving experience that will stick with players long after they're finished with this experience.
Let Triss Get Tortured
Most Fans Will Barely Be Able To Stomach This Act
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
In a bid to get information from Menge, Triss and Geralt hatch a plan where she pretends to be a sorceress captured by the witcher. While this plan may seem sound, players will feel like throwing everything to the wind after hearing Triss scream for her life.
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No player would want to let this beloved character get tortured, but doing so leaves players hanging when it comes to locating Ciri. It's an agonizing decision and just one of the many terrible things players can do in The Witcher 3, even if it may be for the greater good.
Marry Asalia Off To An Abusive King
Necessary For Players Who Don't Want To Be Overrun By Ivo's Forces
Yes, Your Grace
- Released
- March 6, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Drug Reference, Fantasy Violence, Sexual Content
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Life Simulation, Management
Players who want to manage a kingdom will love what Yes, Your Grace brings to the table. King Eryk must make several hard choices, especially near the final chapter of the game, when they must prepare for a siege from an army that overpowers them considerably.
To deal with these forces, players must form alliances with other kings. One of these monarchs wants Asalia's hand in marriage, and players who want to save their kingdom are forced to marry off their daughter against their will in a heartbreaking moment.
Use White Phosphorus On Innocents
The Moment When Spec Ops: The Line Goes Off The Deep End
Spec Ops: The Line
- Released
- June 26, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Spec Ops: The Line seems like a by-the-numbers shooter when players check it out, only for this game's anti-war message to become clear in no time. In a bid to deal with a large group of what seems to be a huge militia force, Walker decides to use white phosphorus to take out these would-be assailants.
It's only after the dust settles that the squad realizes the mistake they made. The area was mostly housing civilians with a few armed men, and everyone was burned to a crisp with the white phosphorus attack. The sight of a dead mother and child clinging on to dear life breaks Walker and sparks his descent into madness.
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