Journey's creator feels that by proving "videogames can make people cry," they influenced the industry embracing games about "serious, emotional subjects" like The Last of Us and God of War

May 25, 2026 - 23:39

The creator of the acclaimed indie game Journey believes that proving video games can make people cry helped push the industry toward more serious, emotional storytelling. In a recent interview, Jenova Chen reflected on how his 2012 game demonstrated that interactive media could evoke deep feelings, which he says influenced major studios to embrace weighty themes.

Chen noted that before Journey, many publishers were skeptical that players would connect with a game that lacked combat or traditional objectives. But the game's quiet, wordless journey through a desert toward a distant mountain resonated with millions, often leaving them in tears. That emotional impact, Chen argues, opened the door for blockbuster titles like The Last of Us and God of War to explore grief, fatherhood, and loss without fear of alienating audiences.

"I've been crying about games for longer than I can remember," Chen said, adding that he always believed the medium could handle serious subjects. He pointed out that after Journey's success, the industry started taking emotional depth more seriously, leading to a wave of narrative-driven experiences that were once considered too risky for mainstream release.

While Chen acknowledges that other games had emotional moments before Journey, he credits his team with proving that a game could be built entirely around making the player feel something. That shift, he says, allowed developers to treat video games as a legitimate art form capable of exploring the full range of human experience.