10 Best Happy Video Game Endings

Massive hits like Uncharted 4 and Hades prove that video games don’t always have to end on a sad note to tell compelling stories. Reunited families, satisfied couples, restored kingdoms, and more prove that happily ever after is a possibility in even the darkest narratives within games.

The best happy endings tie up loose ends and give players the satisfaction that characters achieved the ideal conclusions for their individual stories. These often happen after players have gone through an arduous journey to reach the end, with their decisions along the way often affecting exactly how happy the ending turns out to be.

10 Uncharted 4

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End concluded Naughty Dog’s action-packed Indiana Jones-esque series in 2016. It’s often considered the best game in the Uncharted series, as it takes players on an epic adventure in search of Captain Avery’s long-lost treasure and wraps up Nathan’s story in a satisfying way.

Some fans may have expected Nathan to die in some heroic way given the ominous title and the announcement that it would be the protagonist’s last appearance in the franchise. Instead, Uncharted 4 ends with Nathan and Elena finally settling down and retiring. Their daughter, Cassie, simply walks around the house in the epilogue and learns more about her parents’ adventures. It’s an unexpectedly happy conclusion to Nathan’s story, which has been at the center of the series since it debuted on the PlayStation 3 in 2007.

9 MediEvil

MediEvil is a classic hack and slash game that follows the story of Sir Daniel Fortesque, who is known as the champion of the Kingdom of Gallowmere thanks to his efforts in taking down the evil sorcerer, Zarok. It’s revealed to the players that Sir Dan was actually struck down by the first arrow on the battlefield, and, 100 years later, he returns as a skeletal corpse tasked with defeating Zarok and his undead army.

Despite following a linear and predictable story, its heartwarming ending will still make any player smile. After hacking through the undead and saving hundreds of souls, Sir Dan lays down in his burial chamber, drifting off to eternal rest with a smile on his face. There’s also a hidden ending for those who manage to collect every Chalice where Sir Dan is brought to the Hall of Heroes. Here, he celebrates with other brave warriors, dancing and drinking wine for eternity.

8 Dishonored

Players are thrust into the dystopian industrial hell that is Dunwall City in Dishonored where the protagonist, Corvo Attano, must uncover a royal conspiracy and reclaim the city for the Loyalists. The setting is overrun with plague-spreading rats which infect citizens and turn them into violent Weepers that cry blood and attack passersby.

There are two possible endings depending on the chaos that players have caused throughout the game. The low chaos ending, which is the happy one, sees the rightful Empress Emily take the throne. She works with Corvo to bring about a new golden age, which eradicates the plague and restores the city. There’s a touching scene that shows Corvo’s burial after he dies of old age.

7 Cyberpunk 2077

After Cyberpunk 2077‘s infamously buggy release that showed all of this AAA titles’ flaws, CD Projekt’s game is slowly but surely on the road to redemption. With most major bugs out of the way, players can focus on Johnny Silverhand’s thrilling story that unfolds in the vibrant world of Night City.

Players have to make a crucial decision in the end which will affect who attacks Arasaka. The secret ending that requires players to have a good relationship with Johnny is easily the happiest, as none of V’s friends have to die in the final battle. It leads to a shot of a future version of V, now a famous merc in Night City, optimistically floating in space and about to embark on another epic journey.

6 The Witcher 3

In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, players follow Geralt of Rivia as he searches for his adopted daughter, Ciri. He must slay monsters, take his horse through inhospitable lands, and interact with well-written NPCs, eventually landing on a final quest that shows players the consequences of their actions throughout the game.

In the happiest possible ending, Geralt doesn’t have to part with Ciri, as she successfully defeats the forces of the White Frost. The truth about her royal lineage is never revealed to her, either, which means she’s wholly satisfied to live out the rest of her life as a witcher with her father figure. Geralt also gets to live with his lover Yennefer, with the three of them forming a strange but happy family.

5 Spyro The Dragon

Spyro’s home is in danger, as the previously banished Gnasty Gnorc has returned to freeze the dragons and turn their treasure into evil Gnorcs. In Spyro the Dragon, it’s the player’s job to find all of these frozen dragons and rescue them, defeating enemies and collecting orbs along the way.

It’s a lighthearted game with a simple plot, but this simplicity doesn’t take away from the satisfaction players get from the ending. When Spyro finally faces Gnasty Gnorc in the Dragon Junkyard, there’s a thrilling battle that ends with the antagonist totally crushed. The funny interview with Spyro at the end is an optimistic look at the Dragon Kingdom’s future, free of evil minions and frozen friends.

4 Paper Mario: The Origami King

Paper Mario: The Origami King is one of the best non-platformer Mario games that takes place in the Mushroom Kingdom. Players must stop the antagonist King Olly from turning the world into origami. Before King Olly reaches the 1000th paper crane, which will grant him the ultimate power to turn all Toads into blank paper, Mario and his friends defeat him in a difficult boss fight.

The ending is bittersweet, as King Olly sacrifices himself and lets his sister Olivia fold him into the 1000th paper crane, using his power to undo all the damage he has done. There’s a happier secret ending where 100% completion leads to an image of the two siblings atop a paper castle, observing a merry Origami festival where Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, and more are celebrating.

3 Vampyr

After Doctor Jonathan Reid is unwillingly turned into a vampire, he struggles between his good nature and his newfound thirst for blood. In Vampyr, the protagonist’s actions directly affect how the game ends, which always happens in Lady Ashbury’s home in London.

Vampyr’s good ending is only possible if the player has managed to completely avoid killing anyone throughout the game. After Lady Ashbury kills her maker, who has gone insane after years of not consuming blood, Doctor Reid is able to convince her not to end her life. Instead, the two find their way to America and spend the rest of their lives looking for a cure for their affliction.

2 Journey

Journey is both a profound and relaxing indie video game that takes players on a visually stunning adventure through sandy dunes and dark caves. Along the way, nameless travelers will appear and run alongside the protagonist, often helping players overcome obstacles and solve puzzles.

The game ends when the player reaches the top of the summit. A star shoots out from the mountain, traveling across the deserts and caves that the player journeyed through. The happiest part of the ending is how the game reveals the usernames of all the other players who helped the protagonist reach the conclusion, reminding players that they were truly never alone.

1 Hades

Hades is a roguelike dungeon crawler that tasks players with escaping the Underworld again and again as Zagreus attempts to reach Mount Olympus. The characters, inspired by Greek mythology, interact with the protagonist to aid him on his never-ending quest.

Eventually, players who are determined enough to unlock the true ending of the game will see Persephone travel back to the Underworld and rejoin the House of Hades. Lovers like Orpheus and Achilles are reunited, all of the characters that Zagreus has built friendships with are celebrating, and the family portrait is displayed proudly on the wall. The happy ending ties up all loose ends and even gives Zagreus a promotion as Hades’ new head of security.

About The Author