The Uncanny Thrill of Bad Endings

Video games provide a unique opportunity in bad endings because very rarely does a story in any other medium allow for the chance to receive an alternative conclusion based on how you influenced that story. Today on Psych of Play, we will be talking about what makes these bad endings so fascinating, why we find ourselves watching them out of curiosity, and how we use a similar cognition in our everyday lives.

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Continue? (0:00​)
In 2013... (0:46)
When it all goes wrong (2:08)
A spoilerific conundrum (4:13)
"What if..." (4:57)
Counterfactual Thinking (7:15)
Danganronpa lmao (10:04)
Bad Endings are a form of CFT (10:54​)
Beginning of the end (14:42)
End of the beginning (16:14)

▶Games Shown (not in the bottom left corner like usual to respect context for spoilers)

Persona 5: Royal (2019) - Atlus, P Studio
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019) - Intelligent Systems
Guilty Gear Strive (2021) - Arc System Works
Hollow Knight (2017) - Team Cherry
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000) - Nintendo
Undertale (2015) - Toby Fox
Mario Party Superstars (2021) - NDcube
Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door (2004) - Intelligent Systems, Nintendo
Metroid Dread (2021) - Mercury Steam
Xenoblade Chronicles (2010) - MonolithSoft
NieR:Automata (2017) - PlatinumGames
Elden Ring (2022) - FromSoftware
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011) - Nintendo
Detroit Become Human (2018) - David Cage
Haven (2021) - The Game Bakers
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019) - FromSoftware
BioShock (2007) - 2K Games
Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) - CD Projekt RED
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008) - LucasArts
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (2010) - LucasArts
OMORI (2020) - OMOCAT, LLC
Far Cry 3 (2012) - Ubisoft
Dying Light: The Following (2015) - Techland
Shadow of Memories (2001) - Konami
Dead Space 2 (2011) - Visceral Games
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003) - AlphaDream
Cuphead (2017) - Studio MDHR
Batman: Arkham City (2011) - Rocksteady
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (2010) - Spike Chunsoft
Control (2019) - Remedy Entertainment
Dark Souls (2011) - FromSoftware
Super Mario Odyssey (2017) - Nintendo
Resident Evil 3 (2020) - Capcom
God of War (2018) - SCE Santa Monica Studio
Ghost of Tsushima (2020) - Sucker Punch Productions
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006) - Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011) - Nintendo
Catherine (2011) - Atlus
Knuckles' Chaotix (1995) - SEGA
ANNO: Mutationem (2022) - Thinking Stars
Final Fantasy XIII (2009) - Square Enix
Deltarune Chapter 2 (2021) - Toby Fox
Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020) - Square Enix
What Remains of Edith Finch (2017) - Giant Sparrow
Gris (2018) - Nomada Studio

▶Media/Clips/Considerations:

   • THE END  

▶Music Sources (in Order):

Haven OST - Sweet Insomnia
Undertale OST - Dating Tense!
Xenoblade Chronicles OST - Apprehension
Contact Lens - Seagulls (https://open.spotify.com/artist/7oXHE...)
DANGANRONPA OST - Beautiful Dead
Somnium Music - "Dark Dreams" Dark Lofi (   • "Dark Dreams" Silent Hill Type Song  )
Persona PSP OST - Avidia World

Track: Cinematic Ambient Story with Emotional Epic Ending by MokkaMusic / Thorny Path    • (No Copyright Music) Cinematic Ambien...  
Music provided by "MokkaMusic" channel and https://inaudio.org

Distant Memories - Kyoshin



▶Research Articles Cited

ARTICLES

The Efficacy of Downward Counterfactual Thinking for Regulating Emotional Memories in Anxious Individuals
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

Maladaptive Daydreaming
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health....

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