History Main / VideoGameCaringPotential

* Likewise the case in ''VideoGame/StardewValley''. Players can befriend the townsfolk and help them with their personal issues, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome even if they are a farmer and not a therapist]]. Notably, a lot of players opt to [[RescueRomance "rescue" the more troubled romance choices]] by marrying them and inviting them to come live on the farm; for example, Penny (who happens to be one of the most popular female choices) lives with her abusive alcoholic mother in a dingey, stuffy little trailer by the river, and going to live on the farm alleviates the problem and gives the girl her own space.

* ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'' will likely make you seriously sympathize with the main characters and propel you to make sure [[AnyoneCanDie they stay alive]]. [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential But on the other hand, maybe you'll be tempted to use the saw during the Lizard Trial..]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}'' gives you plenty of opportunities to encourage, teach and save from themselves other guys in the same situation you are in. In fact, they'll even thank you for it. In fact, discouraging them from continuing the climb will result in their deaths. Some dialogue options actually make it very hard to tell which is which, so [[SaveScumming Save Scum]] early and often.

* ''VideoGame/DieAnstalt''. These poor little fluffy animals are so screwed up, you can't help but feel for them and genuinely want them to get better. Especially the alligator. Dear God. The poor thing cries when you finally help him.

* As strange as it may sound [[ComedicSociopathy given the]] [[CrapsackWorld series as]] [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential a whole]], ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' does allow you to indulge in this, notably by giving you the choice to spare targets you have been assigned to kill. Note that all of them ''won't'' necessarily [[UngratefulBastard show much gratitude]] for you not putting a bullet in their head, [[BackstabBackfire forcing you to kill them later anyway]], but still.
* ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'' makes it very hard not to get attached to the characters. Especially considering all the horrible things they go through. [[spoiler:[[TheWoobie Ethan]] is the most obvious example considering the death of Jason, and how determined the poor guy is to get Shaun back despite the trials. Just try not to care about him. And then there's struggling [[ByTheBookCop FBI profiler]] Norman, especially as you can help him get over his drug problem (not to mention it's painful watching him getting beaten up so many times). Even Shelby really wins you over with his heart-warming ways (we're talking about scrambled eggs and saving suicidal mothers, not drowning children here)]].
** Ethan's interactions with Shaun and Jason can also make you rather protective of them.

* 100% Completion in ''VideoGame/{{Lemmings}}'' seems like a moral imperative. The lemmings' cute character designs don't help.

* Numerous players in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' have adopted pet slimes, since a bug prevents them from despawning. The addition of wolves and cats also encourages this, since they can be tamed and will subsequently fight alongside you or shun creepers respectively as long as you can keep them healthy.
** The LetsPlay'er SnapWave adopted a pet creeper he named Mr. Creepy, which saved his life on numerous occasions. He almost started crying after it died.
** Treating villagers (or "Testificates" in early versions) nicely. Someone once [[http://imgur.com/a/m7gOi rounded up Testificates]] [[http://imgur.com/a/ddNWY to give them a nice new home]]. Giving them happy, safe, monster-free dwellings is also rewarding, since a grown village will eventually spawn friendly, powerful iron golems that will attack hostile monsters. Furthermore, you can trade with villagers to get items, and Farmer villagers can automatically tend farms for you.
** Being nice to noobs (more often just new to the server than just multiplayer) is not the norm as they are usually characterized as all being thieves and griefers. Many players will even try to scam them out of what little they have or raid their dirt and cobblestone houses. However if you let them stay at your large manor house or secret underground base they will usually be more than grateful, (so long as you made sure they weren't a thief) and it can be rewarding to have another person help out. And come on, everyone is a noob once.
** Tamed wolves. Part of the appeal is having them serve as attack wolves to do your hunting and fighting for you. The other half is getting together a small entourage of those cute puppy-eyed critters and either keeping them home safe or taking them on adventures with you. The same can be done with the Creeper-repelling cats.

* ''VideoGame/{{Scribblenauts}}''. You can sit in a level writing item after item to make [=NPCs=] happy and safe. Helping characters out is the entire point of ''Scribblenauts Unlimited''.

* ''VideoGame/ZooTycoon'' and its sequel are all about this. You grow ''very'' attached to the animals you care of, and the guests, while very demanding, will be rewarding assets if you serve their needs correctly. Getting a 5-star zoo is all about making sure all your animals and guests are happy, and it is very rewarding when you finally get a 5-star zoo considering how difficult it can be.

* ''VideoGame/{{SOS}}''. The object of the game is to rescue seven passengers. Depending on who you rescue and whether or not the player characters' essential passenger(s) are among them, you will get a better ending. You ''especially'' get rewarded if you go out of your way to rescue certain passengers, which include an entire family, a married couple, a mother and her ill daughter, children, and an Engineer who otherwise would die.

* Surprisingly, ''VideoGame/TheIncredibleHulkUltimateDestruction'' of all games has this trope. If you press the special button (Y in the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube version) while holding someone Hulk normally slams them into the ground. But if you do so while holding a civilian, Hulk just puts them down gently and pats them on the head.

* Following the same trend, whenever you're riding the Batmobile in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'', you might come across a high-speed chase featuring two cars full of thugs pursuing a cop in a police car. While you won't hear the police officer asking for help through the radio and you don't have to stop whatever you are you doing to save them either, if you choose to neutralize the thugs' cars, the police officer will thank you for saving them by radio before driving away.

* The story of Noh is a legendary ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' example. It goes like this: A group of players were doing a DungeonCrawl when they came upon an ornate and obviously magical sword and chainmail shirt. The items were guarded by a young girl (really a physical manifestation of a minor spirit) who could only say 'no' and (if saying no would be misleading) 'please do not take these items'. It was ''supposed'' to be a simple SecretTestOfCharacter just wanted to see if they would take them when the girl was asking them not to. The party bard tried to use music to 'awaken her dormant soul' and rolled high enough that the DM let her shed a single tear. The players promptly suffered CutenessProximity and [[OffTheRails decided to take the girl instead of the items]]. They took her with them (when she tried to return to the items to fulfill her purpose they simply put the items on her instead), risked their lives for her, and named her 'Noh' since it was what she said when asked her name. The DM allowed them to keep her for good.

* A central theme of a lot of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' games is freeing WoodlandCreatures (or [[VideoGame/SonicColors aliens]]) by opening the capsules that mark the ends of certain levels or, optionally, by [[VideoGame/SonicLostWorld finding smaller capsules scattered around levels]] and smashing the [[MechaMook robots which use them as energy sources]]. An odd example since it means you are doing more good simply by being ''more violent''.

* ''[[VideoGame/StoryofSeasons Harvest Moon]]'' and ''VideoGame/StoryofSeasons'':

* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' can bring this up, seeing as it's basically a neighborhood simulator. You can easily get attached to your villagers, who are all [[AmazingTechnicolorWildlife cute, colorful]] [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter animals]] that you can befriend and [[CutenessProximity snuggy wuggy woogy wub]]. It can be extremely heartbreaking if one moves away because of your neighbor limit. Sometimes, neighbors will move to friends' towns. This can potentially cause an estranged relationship with that real-life friend.
** Uchi villagers, introduced in ''New Leaf,'' are the "big sister" types that care about you. They also can get excited if you decide to sell your furniture that the uchi villager wants. If you are at high happiness with that uchi villager, after you accept the offer, she will ask if it's really okay, and another option appears between the option to sell the furniture or decline the sell; the option to just give the furniture without obtaining the bells that were offered. Should you select it, the uchi villager will be at a loss for words, and as the animation of you giving the uchi villager your furniture finishes, the uchi villager will burst into tears and tell you that you are the best before thanking you, resulting in her being in a happy mood.

* ''[[VideoGame/StoryofSeasons Harvest Moon]] and ''VideoGame/StoryofSeasons'':

* Just try not to feel any affection for your fake spouse and child in ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon''. Even after every ScriptedEvent has been shown and there is nothing left to do, it is near impossible to stop playing thanks to the PlayableEpilogue.
** If you played any ''Harvest Moon'' game, it's a good bet that you have been in a panic about finding some random citizen's birthday, and saying a prayer that they like the Radish that you didn't sell specially to give to them! And let's not even mention your animals (Everyone else panicked and brought their dog in at the chance of rain, right?)
*** Sometimes, Videogame Caring Potential breeds itself, in that in some games your dog likes you more for holding it when you go to sleep. If you always let your pet sleep on your bed anyway, there's no chance of leaving it out in a storm in the first place.

*** To the uninitiated, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKv7cw_Z1P4 many]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb4xkEiewIw songs]] tend to elicit reactions like, "It's a ''computer program!'' Why am I ''[[{{Utsuge}} crying?]]''"