Some of the best video games feature complex storylines littered with seemingly major moral decisions. Multilinear narrative games are structured so that dialogue choices and key actions direct the player down different paths within a branching narrative, ultimately leading to a conclusion. However, it can be challenging to discern which choices truly matter; that is, which choices are defining parts of the game that send the player down a trajectory that is difficult or impossible to predict.
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The snowball effect of these choices may not be apparent at first, and sometimes the player may never know exactly where they went wrong. These are some seemingly small decisions that send players into a tailspin, often headed for some of the worst, most unfair endings in video game history. Careful what you choose in these games, or throw caution to the wind and see what happens.
Undertale
Kill Anyone, Even Once
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Toby Fox
- Genre(s)
- RPG
It is widely known at this point that there are two clear ways to play Undertale: A pacifist run and a genocide run. What many players didn’t know when the game was first released was that a single kill would lock the player out of the Pacifist path. If a player fails to read the room and anticipate the game’s agenda, then it can have lasting repercussions in a game that unflinchingly holds up a mirror to the violence of traditional game mechanics.
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Toby Fox is an unforgiving developer and made killing a single character immediately ruin a Pacifist run. Many players found this out the hard way, likely when Toriel is trying to stop them from leaving her home, and will not move. It seems that maybe this is one thing that can't be solved by persisting without fighting. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Every life matters, and every violent action has consequences in Undertale.
The Quarry
That Damn Rabbit
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Supermassive Games
Supermassive Games loves to throw curveballs and prompt the player to make choices that turn into ticking time bombs. The Quarry has a classic example of this trickery, and it’s all linked to a lost stuffed toy and a commercial freezer. The game centers around camp counselors attempting to make their way home after the camp has closed for the year. One of the young campers has left behind a beloved toy, and camp counselor Abbey has to decide whether to leave it in the cabin or take it with her to try to reunite it with its owner.
Those who are familiar with Supermassive Games will instantly identify this as a defining choice that will snowball into massive consequences. The fact that the toy makes noise will probably prompt many forward-thinking players to leave it in case the noise gives away their position later in the game, but little do they know that they may have doomed a completely different character to a slow, painful death. Later in the game, this rabbit will be the difference between life and death for Kaitlyn. Unless Kaitlyn is infected by a werewolf, she will not survive without the toy to throw into the freezer. In many cases, this leads to her attempting to hide in the freezer and being locked inside to freeze to death.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man Of Medan
Julia’s Beer
The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan
- Released
- August 30, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Supermassive Games
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Another cruel Supermassive snowball choice appears in The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan. After Alex proposes to his girlfriend, Julia, while scuba diving, the situation can quickly turn awkward—especially if she rushes to the surface out of concern for her brother after spotting signs of danger. This not only makes things tense but also introduces the risk of decompression sickness, commonly known as "the bends," highlighting how choices stack tension and consequences in the story.
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Transitioning from underwater drama to life back on the boat, what better way for Julia to decompress—both literally and figuratively—after a stressful dive and an uncomfortable proposal than with a cold beer? However, in The Dark Pictures Anthology, seemingly small choices can have devastating outcomes. Julia's celebratory beer in Man of Medan is one of the first decisions that can set players up for disaster. As the story unfolds, Julia effectively becomes a ticking time bomb. Even if she survives the pirates, the hallucinogenic gas, and the dangers of the decaying ship, she still may not make it. By the time the repercussions emerge, most players have long forgotten about the innocent-seeming beer they drank hours ago.
Disco Elysium
Be Nice To The Weird Neighborhood Kid
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Developer(s)
- ZA/UM
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Every weird little choice in Disco Elysium can have catastrophic consequences. Sometimes it's a direct result of player choices, and sometimes it’s down to a simple dice roll. For example, at the beginning, the detective's stats are so low that he can give himself a heart attack just from trying to get dressed. In a game where you can walk into a storage container and get a small business loan from a transdimensional being, it might seem like you should have bigger things to focus on than managing your relationship with the local youth population.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Now, local menace Cuno is not the easiest person to get along with. In fact, he can be downright threatening and awful, but he is, in essence, a bratty kid in some pretty terrible circumstances. Manage to not punch this kid in the face and instead persist in developing a positive relationship with him, and he could be there to save detective Harry du Bois when he needs him most.
Silent Hill 2
Don’t Forget Mary
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bloober Team
In Silent Hill 2, James may be wracked with guilt and running for his life from psychosexual monsters, but he still needs to take some time to reflect and have a browse through his inventory. Or at least that is what Silent Hill 2's developers would have you believe. Failing to look at the photo of his dead wife, Mary’s, enough can affect what happens to James at the end of the game.
Looking at Mary’s photo or the letter she wrote to James will increase the player’s chance of getting the "Leave" ending, which is considered the game's good ending by many. But beware: when scrolling through James’ inventory, if the player looks at Angela’s knife, they may destroy all hope of leaving Silent Hill in one piece.
Silent Hill 4: The Room
Pick Up The Doll
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Team Silent
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Silent Hill 4: The Room is focused on an apartment building, both in the real world and the surreal Otherworld. The more claustrophobic sequences and the hauntings take place in Henry's apartment, the latter of which are varied and challenge his sanity. Reducing the hauntings is in the player’s best interests. There are ways to deal with the hauntings, but resources are limited, and things can quickly turn the only safe space in the game into a very unpleasant place to be.
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The deranged and deeply suspicious Walter offers Henry a doll that has given him great comfort, but those sneaky Silent Hill devs are at it again. This time, it’s a little more obvious what the correct choice is: Do you take the weird doll from the stranger? Or do you refuse his gift? This is where a polite person might take the doll so as not to offend the man, but a sensible person does not take toys from strangers. This doll produces a specific haunting in Henry’s apartment in which crying babies (or dolls) emerge from the walls. Basically, unless you are going for a bad ending, it's probably best not to take the doll.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Snowball Fight
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
Ciri’s relationship with her father figure, Geralt, is a key part of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It impacts her morale and, more importantly, her decision-making. Therefore, while there are people to save and evil to defeat, it’s important to take some time for a wholesome snowball fight. In the "Blood on the Battlefield" mission, Geralt has the opportunity to encourage Ciri to either have a drink or to playfully throw a snowball at her.
If he takes the second option, then the player has made a choice that can lead to the game's good ending, but if they go for a drink instead, Ciri becomes despondent, and her judgment becomes clouded. A simple snowball fight to pick up her mood can literally be the difference between life and death for this beloved character.
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There are countless games on the market to play for those who enjoy making hard choices and seeing the world around them change with consequence.