20 Video Game Side Quests That BROKE You

2. Frostflow Abyss (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)

When it comes to open-world video games with a wealth of discoverable, hidden side quests, few can hold a candle to Bethesda's timeless masterpiece, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. You'll find so many stories when walking off the beaten track, but stumbling upon this one will give you a firm lesson in how harsh Tamriel can be. 

The Frostflow Lighthouse in Winterhold holds a tragic tale. Upon entering, you'll find the dead body of a Reguard woman, alongside a chaurus corpse. Journals in the area fill you in on the story of a family of four, who had moved into the lighthouse seeking a place to live peacefully, only to have their peace disturbed by loud scratching noises. 

At this point, you still have some hope that you might save the husband and two children, so you venture down into the abyss beneath the lighthouse. Sadly, as you continue, you'll find each member of this family dead, with their boy killed by Falmer, their girl dead by self-inflicted knife wounds, and their father digested inside the belly of a chaurus reaper. 

This slow reveal is devastating, and it's hard to shake the feeling that you might have saved them had you arrived sooner.