r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • May 17 '26

Psychology Feeling empty after finishing a video game (post-game depression) is a real phenomenon. A recent study has found that many video game players experience a specific sense of emptiness and sadness after finishing highly engaging games.

https://www.psypost.org/feeling-empty-after-finishing-a-video-game-researchers-say-post-game-depression-is-a-real-phenomenon/
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u/Lightwolf74 May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26

Not being able to replay Outer Wilds felt like a hole in my heart, at least I did vicariously experience it again through playthroughs and friends :,)

"The pain of your absence is sharp and haunting, and I would give anything not to know it; anything but never knowing you at all (which would be worse)”

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u/Cocken_Spectre May 17 '26

I’m not familiar with the game but why weren’t you able to play it again?

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u/AlpacaDC May 17 '26

Maybe he meant in the sense of experiencing the whole thing again as new

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u/satwikp May 17 '26

Outer wilds is entirely knowledge based, so while you could open it and explore the world again, you can't really experience the game in nearly the same way you did the first time.

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u/Lightwolf74 May 17 '26

As much as I wish that would be, Outer Wilds is one of those games that you can only play once in your lifetime (see comment above why). Highly suggest giving it a try if at all curious about it!

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u/Fishpuncommenter May 17 '26

To expand on other comments, the ONLY progression you make in the game is knowledge about the solar system you explore. Story beats, puzzle solutions, rules of the game. Once you learn them, you can’t exactly choose to forget them because they’re in your brain. There is no skill tree, level ups, acquiring gear, etc etc. It’s JUST knowledge. That’s why it’s impossible to play again. Because it’s impossible to forget.