[[quoteright:270:[[KanaLittleSister http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kana_cry2.jpg]]]]
{{Utsuge}} is the Japanese portmanteau for "depressing game". As the name implies, these games' goal is to make the player cry. Most of them are of the VisualNovel variety, in which the player is guided through an increasingly (melo)dramatic story.

Games of this type contain lots of typical [[TearJerker tear-jerking]] material, with death, mental problems, loneliness and rejection as central themes. A lot of them contain at least one [[IllGirl girl with a serious disease]], who has to be helped by the player. {{Downer Ending}}s are very common, when the player fails to achieve this goal.

{{Utsuge}}s are often populated by {{Bishoujo}}s and aimed squarely at a {{Seinen}} audience. By far the most of them take the form of {{Dating Sim}}s, where the dramatic material is used to give the on-screen girls more depth and character. In some of those games, the drama actually becomes much more prevalent, overtaking the premise of simply trying to date girls. Most {{Utsuge}}s, being {{Dating Sim}}s, also contain [[{{H-Game}} quite a bit of the erotic content]] that comes with the territory.

It is rare to find examples without any erotic content whatsoever, although some {{H-Game}}s have been re-released without adult material to appeal to a wider audience—usually without suffering any negative consequences for the story or playability. Still, gaming companies generally don't explicitly market their games as {{Utsuge}}, instead emphasizing their DatingSim-nature to appeal to the typically male audience.
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Examples:

* ''KanaLittleSister''
* ''DaCapo''
* Most anything by KeyVisualArts:
** ''{{CLANNAD}}''
** ''{{AIR}}''
** ''{{Kanon}}''
** ''[[{{Planetarian}} planetarian]]''
* ''DoteUpACat'' combines this with [[IllGirl ill]] [[CatGirl catgirls]] and a [[BaitAndSwitchCredits Bait and Switch opening]]. This Troper hasn't even ''played'' it, but...just compare [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6G3xKoswCE the opening]] to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ews32BGFq1w the ending]].
* ''{{Narcissu}}''
* TypeMoon's games, particularly the routes leading up to a "Normal End". "True Ends" tend towards bittersweet.
** ''{{Tsukihime}}'', the Far Side routes (Akiha/Hisui/Kokahu) in particular. Akiha's normal end will PlayerPunch you in the face.
** Sakura's route in ''FateStayNight'' (Heaven's Feel) is particularly warped, with her "Normal End" the most depressing of all the endings.
* ''ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two'', which has been adapted into ''[[EfATaleOfMemories ef: A Tale Of Memories]]'' and ''[[EfATaleOfMelodies ef: A Tale of Melodies]]''.
* ''KimiGaNozomuEien''. The anime version doesn't let up on the tears, either.
* A ''most rare'' non-Bishoujo, non-dating example: The MetalGearSolid saga. 4 especially is pure emotional sadism pressed into disc shape. Damn you, Kojima. Just damn you.
* An even rarer non-Bishoujo, non-dating, ''Western'' example: GearsOfWar. The second one especially twists the knife, delighting in killing all the most sympathetic and BadAss non-player characters in the [[DrivenToSuicide most]] [[YankTheDogsChain depressing]] ways possible.
* ''HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi'' and its sequel ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' form an interesting variation. Their main objective is not to make the players cry, but to ''scare'' them. Despite this, the games still manage to move the player emotionally. Anyone who doesn't feel their eyes become damp at any point in the series has no soul.
** The question arcs are supposed to confuse and scare us, but the answer arcs are straight Utsuge.
* ''{{Ever17}}''. If you don't cry at the end of [[spoiler:Tsugumi's path]], you aren't human.
* ''YumeMiruKusuri'' has three paths - one for the socially isolated school idol, one for the druggie kid, and the last one for the poor girl who is bullied [[KidsAreCruel with tasers in a classroom]] while [[AdultsAreUseless the teacher assumes she is constantly falling out of her chair and screaming for no particular reason]].
* PrivateNurse -- Come for the marketing as an {{h-game}}, stay for the many, many moments of [[TearJerker crying your damn eyes out.]] At least one path leads what could be considered a BittersweetEnding if not outright DownerEnding.

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