https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/frostpunk-devs-say-theyre-not-out-to-make-depression-simulators-despite-all-the-death-and-child-labour-there-always-has-to-be-a-good-way-out/
You literally send people into the frozen waste to collect coal with their bare hands. Depression was baked in.
I enjoyed this game, until during the "successful" ending my practical measures (NOT including child labor btw) were dismissed by the game as "maybe you could try to do this well without being STALINIST" or something similar
I don't remember doing executions, I remember feeding prisoners so I think the latter
Maybe true, but that's why its so good. I loved this game because I didn't want to feed my people sawdust for breakfast. I actually cared about the consequences of my actions and when the storm came and everyone was freezing, I actually felt bad.
What other game makes you feel something about its characters?