Tear Jerker / Grounded

As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

This apparently isn't the first Dan Hamster either.

Despite this game’s cheery aesthetic and moments, it's not without it's own tearjerkers present in the game.

• In the Oak Laboratory, the teens can find a picture of Wendell's kids, Thor and Sarah, playing with a pet hamster when they appear to be quite young. Upon closer inspection, Sarah appears to giving the hamster a stick of gum. Near the southwestern portion of the map, one can find a gravestone marked "Dan Hamster III", and underneath said grave is the skeleton of said hamster with gum where his stomach should be. Put two and two together, and it looks like Sarah and Thor accidentally killed their beloved hamster.
• Finding various skeletons across the map. At first it might be a bit puzzling as to why, but it's later revealed throughout the game that it's not just Pete, Max, Hoops, and Willow who have been shrunken down. These are the various remains of teens who have been taken against their will and shrunken down, but unfortunately weren't able to survive the backyard. Moreover, this is where the rotten equipment comes from: the abandoned tools of previous victims. Becomes less tear jerking in the full release, as some of these skeletons have files and badges that mark them as members of Ominent shrunk down to spy on Tully, but can zig-zag right back to tear-jerking when you realize they were sent by the company straight into the Death World of the backyard!
• Wendell's worsening condition and mental decline. While he's not the nicest person, nor the most selfless, uncovering his logs and gathering information from documents, labs, and B.U.R.G.L all point towards Wendell being a generally well-meaning guy who got in way over his head.
  • Upon exploring the Haze Lab, the teens find Trudy's note to Wendell, indicating her reluctant plans for divorce and how much it upsets her that Wendell is so obsessed in his work that he's being self-destructive and isn't considering how it's affecting her or the kids.
    Trudy: Wendell, What can I say in this letter that we haven't argued about these last few years? Is there anything left to talk about? It breaks my heart to admit it, but we need a change. I'm sorry, I just can't take the tears anymore. I can't bear to look of disappointment on our children's faces, night after night, while pretending it's all going to get better. So we're going up north to my sister's. I need time to think and decide what happens next. Please don't call me, I won't answer. If you want to talk about where we go from here, you'll have to pull yourself away from your work and make the drive. I'll always love you Wendell, and I hate that we've ended here, but here we are. Please take care of yourself and don't forget to eat something healthy every now and again. Your not-yet-ex-wife, Trudy
  • After the above, Wendell indicates in his logs that he doesn't need Trudy or her nagging, but quickly comes to miss both her and his kids. A log in the Shed Lab has him on the verge of tears recognizing his failures as a husband and as a father. Despite his setbacks as a person, Wendell does love Thor and Sarah very much.
    Wendell: Working in the dark is playing tricks on my mind. I fear every shadow. Hear whispers in the silence...But most of all... I miss my family. [sighs] Trudy and her crooked grin. The way she rolled her eyes at my dumb jokes. Sarah, my little angel. How she would jump into my arms every time I walked through the door after work. And Thor... Thor and his obsession of the month. What was that last one? Castle Moldorc...? No, no, no, no... no, it was Mants. [Imitating Thor] Dad, what do you mean I don't need Mant minis? Have you seen them? Do you even know what a Mant is? [Imitating Thor] It's so rad Dad. A barbarian. An insectoid warrior with the mind of a human that—