Bramble: The Mountain King. The Fairytale Game That Made Me Cry (And I Cried Over A Few Games)

Let's be real: I'm not new to crying over video games. I've cried over coxy ones, sad ones, and even the good ones that just catch me off guard with a good emotional gut punch.

But Bramble: The Mountain King? this one felt different.

It wasn't just a game. It was a full-on dark fairytale experience. The kind that wraps around your heart like a cold mist, then melts it with a single not from the soundtrack. I play a lot of cozy and horse games, but I like to step out of my comfort zone sometimes, and this game pulled me into a world that was both beautiful and terrifying all at once.

A Fairytale World... With Teeth

From the moment the game started, I knew I was in for something special. The story follows a little boy on a mission to save his sister. Simple on the surface, but layered with folklore, loss, and haunting imagery that somehow felt beautiful and terrifying all at once. The setting reminded me of the old fairytales the kind with real consequences and shadowy creatures waiting in the trees. And the visuals? STUNNING. Like painting-level stunning. Everything was dripping with mood.

It Was the Sad Parts That Got Me

I expected to be creeped out the trailer made that part clear.

What I wasn't ready for was how emotional the journey would be.

There were moments in Bramble that hit so hard, I had to set the controller down and just breathe. Once scene in particular (no spoilers) had me sobbing in a way that cozy games usually don't and that's coming from someone who cried over a Dog.

The themes of grief, guilt, and sibling love hit close to home. It reminded me of my own journey, especially healing from trauma. Sometimes, the scariest monsters aren't the ones on the screen they're the ones we've lived through.

A Game Outside My Norm and Worth Every Second

Most days you'll catch me lost in a horse game, or curled up with something pink, pastel, and full of cozy vibes. But Bramble reminded me why it's okay even necessary to step outside your genre bubble sometimes. It gave me chills, tears, and moments of raw beauty that I'll remember for a long time.

I wasn't expecting boss fights that felt like folklore horror stories. I wasn't expecting to feel so much in a game this short. But I'm so glad I experienced it.

If you've ever been through something hard and let's be honest, most of us have Bramble: The Mountain King will hit you in a different way. It's not a typical cozy game, but it is a reminder that healing can come in strange places. That beauty can exist right next to fear. That even a dark story can carry light in its core.

And if it makes you cry?

Well, welcome to the club. I'll save you a tissue.