Video games is by far the medium with the greatest potential due to one reason: the hug button. Will a movie let you make the protagonist and villain hug on demand? No! Will a CD let you hug its composer? Unless they happen to be standing right next to you, not a chance! Games are the only medium that can allow you to hug on command.

Sadly, very few games live up to the full potential of the medium, but let's celebrate the ones that do.


A hug button is a dedicated button/key that will cause the main player to hug someone or something. Some exceptions can be made. Eg. Dropsy doesn't have a physical button but a hug icon, which clearly fits the spirit of the hug button. Buttons that contextually transform into hug buttons, but do have other uses, are also fine, as long as it's relevant throughout the game and not a one-time thing. Cutscenes involving hugging don't count. Hugs need to be initiated by the player!


In alphabetical order.

A Boy and His Blob Wii / Windows / Mac / Linux / PS3 / PS4 / PS Vita / Xbox One

Probably the most famous example of the hug button, A Boy and His Blob is a game about pressing down on your controller in order to hug your blob. It also has puzzles or something.
How to hug: Press down near your blob.

A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build Windows / Mac / Linux / Android / iOS

A puzzle game from the makers of Sokobond about building snowmen (and snowwomen) which you can then hug.
How to hug: Tap on a completed snowman
Thanks to bonesquad.

Among the Sleep Windows / PS4 / Xbox One

Hugging your teddy bear emits light, which can help you navigate.
How to hug: Press [F] to hug teddy. (Button can be configured.)
Thanks to trikster40.

Big Huggin' Installation

A standard platformer in which you guide your bear through the levels. Also, the game is controlled entirely by hugging a custom teddy bear controller.
How to hug: Hug the controller, IRL.

Chris Gethard's Hug-Out Browser

Chris Gethard is here to make things better. Don't worry, things will be alright.
How to hug: Select an avatar, type your worries and press Enter.

Dropsy Windows / Mac / Linux

A point-and-click hugventure. Dropsy is a game all about hugging people.
How to hug: Click on the hug icon, then on the person or object you wish to hug.
Disclaimer: Whereas most of the hugs in this game are great, it also contains a non-consensual one.

Final Fantasy XV PS4 / Xbox One

Chocobos can be hugged during the Moogle Chocobo Carnival.
How to hug: Press .
Thanks to Fersis.

God of War PS2 / PS3 / PS Vita

You hug your family during the final boss battle.
How to hug: Press and hold .
Thanks to GamingPheasant.

Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Gamecube / PS2

Not to be confused with the Christmas film, this is a farm simulator. That means plenty of cute animals to interact with!
How to hug: Press when it shows a heart.
Thanks to Hilbert.

Hug Arena Browser

The goal of the game is to befriend all of the monsters through hugging.
How to hug: Hold Z or C near a monster.
Thanks to gingerbeardman.

Hugpunx Browser

The goal of the game is to hug as many (consenting!) persons and cats as possible.
How to hug: Press Z.

Rambo: Last Blood Browser

Help Rambo get into Valhalla by making amends with the ghosts of the people he's killed. How? Through hugging, of course.
How to hug: Press Space near a ghost.

Rule of Rose PS2

Made by Punchline, the same studio behind Chulip, a game all about kissing. It should come as no surprise they followed it up with a game all about petting and hugging. Oh, and monsters and bullying.
How to hug: Press when lined up with Brown. Can be very finicky to get right.

The Last Guardian PS4

Ico had holding hands. Shadow of the Colossus had petting a horse. In The Last Guardian they finally did hugging. Fumito Ueda's magnum opus? I don't see where he could possibly go from here.
How to hug: Press near Trico.
Thanks to Roubjon and Bronetta.

The Sims (franchise) Windows / Mac / Maybe the console entries have it too, I don't know

Screenshot from The Sims 3.
In order to hug someone, you need a certain relationship level. In addition to the hug built into the game there are also additional hug "pose packs" online. I wholly approve of this kind of modding, though I can't vouch for any of these packs. Use caution when downloading files from the Internet.
How to hug: Select hug from the pop-up menu.
Thanks to Wildean.

Undertale Windows / Mac / Linux

Some monsters in Undertale can be hugged. Be wary, though, some can also be 'unhugged'. And we don't want that.
How to hug: Select Act->Hug in battle when possible.
Thanks to Earthpainting.

Vegetable Game Browser

The goal of the game is to hug increasingly bad people.
How to hug: Press Z.
Thanks to UncleSporky.


Some games get close to fullfilling the potential of the medium but don't reach all the way. Don't take this as a critique on these games. The fact they have something resembling a hug button means they're already better than 99% of all games. Objections? Feel free to debate whether these games should or should not be included in the full list.

Assassin's Creed II Windows / Mac / PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox One
You're not gonna leave your bro Leonardo hanging, are you? Are you?!
How to hug: Succeed at the QTE.
Reason for exclusion: One time event.
Thanks to daffy.

Huggy Bear Browser
The only way to get oxygen is through hugs, but hugs also lead to broken bones.
How to hug: Press Space.
Reason for exclusion: See Hugs. Don't hug people without their consent.
Thanks to Icelandic_Jazz.

Hug Marine Browser
A standard 2D platformer with an alien to hug acting as the goal point of each level.
How to hug: Touch the alien at the end of the level.
Reason for exclusion: No dedicated hug button or even contextual button to press. Aliens simply serve as the goal of the level and then a "hug cutscene" plays.

hugventure Browser
hugventure is a text-based hugventure where all you want is a hug.
How to hug: Type 'hug <object to hug>'
Reason for exclusion:
Hugs Windows / Mac / Linux
A game about killing all the humans through hugs.
How to hug: Sneak up on an unsuspecting human (or run up to them) and press K.
Reason for exclusion: Consent is key! Please do not hug people against their will! (Especially not if it kills them.)

Kirby Super Star SNES
Players can share health pickups through hugs(?) in co-op mode.
How to hug: After picking up a health pickup, touch the other player.
Reason for exclusion: Some reports say this is actually a kiss. Our hug scientists don't know what to think. More data is necessary.
Thanks to halfbeast.

The Walking Dead: Season Two Windows / Mac / PS3 / PS4 / PS Vita / Xbox 360 / Xbox One / iOS / Android / Ouya
Sadly, you can't hug any of the zombies, but you can hug a survivor.
How to hug: Select .
Reason for exclusion: One time event.
Thanks to Nia.


This guide is preliminary and further research is required. Here are some areas of interest that may be worth further investigation:
Haunting Ground: Another PS2 era horror game with a dog in it. I hear there's a way to compliment it (and pet it?) but can you hug it?
Chulip: It has kissing, but does it have hugging?!
Other games: What other games have I missed? For bonus hugs, provide photographic evidence (screenshot of the hug) and instructions on how to replicate the hug.

I like to /hug alot in World of Warcraft. It even tracks the amount of hugs I give <3

I really need to get A Boy and His Blob, it looks so cute

This is a damn good thread

The Last Guardian:

Click to expand...

You can hug chocobos in FFXV during the Moogle Chocobo festival.

You can....sorta...hug your Pokemon in certain Pokemon games... I think...

Based on the criteria, does not count.

The only example of a hug button in a game that comes up immediately to me.

I imagine I'm hugging my farm animals in Stardew Valley every morning (with the heart emotes). Especially those cows. They're so adorable! Thanks for the large milks. ^__^

I like that this exists.

... did you really add rule of rose? you monster.
also subscribed

Will try to play these games. Everybodg needs a hug.

Seeing Rule of Rose reminds me that the game got stupidly expensive. $250 for even open copies.

I also need to finish A Boy and His Blob.

Edit: no, I felt too bad for this, sorry...

Hugstable said:

I like to /hug alot in World of Warcraft. It even tracks the amount of hugs I give <3

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I wonder if more MMOs also have hug emotes. A Reddit thread said Final Fantasy XIV does. Maybe I should add a separate section for emotes (if there are more)? Then there are all the generic emotes where you can emote anything. '/em hugs x'

I can't believe Team Fortress 2 doesn't have a hug taunt.

Roubjon said:

The Last Guardian:

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This certainly looks like a hug to me. How do you perform it?

Fersis said:

You can hug chocobos in FFXV during the Moogle Chocobo festival.

Click to expand...

Added, thanks.

GamingPheasant said:

Based on the criteria,

Spoiler

Kratos hugging his family at the end of the first game in a boss fight

does not count.

The only example of a hug button in a game that comes up immediately to me.

Click to expand...

I think I should clarify. Hugging only being available in a certain section/area of the game is fine, imo, as long as you have the freedom to initiate it more than once (which appears to be the case for God of War). What I aim to disqualify is more when it's something that's simply done in one place to advance the cutscene or something. (I don't actually have any examples of that so maybe it's an unnecessary rule.) I haven't played God of War but based on a video of it I think it qualifies?

Does Portal 2 fit into this? It's MP has a hug emote, coincidentally the best one. I'll try to edit in a screenshot later today if I can remember.

I haven't actually played a game with a hug button, but I do know of one from The Walking Dead. It's one time only, so it might not count, but the player can chose to initiate it.


Press A, or click the option with the mouse depending on which version you're playing.

This is my kind of thread. Well done OP.

Chainsawkitten said:

I think I should clarify. Hugging only being available in a certain section/area of the game is fine, imo, as long as you have the freedom to initiate it more than once (which appears to be the case for God of War). What I aim to disqualify is more when it's something that's simply done in one place to advance the cutscene or something. (I don't actually have any examples of that so maybe it's an unnecessary rule.) I haven't played God of War but based on a video of it I think it qualifies?

Click to expand...

If that's the case, then God War definitely counts.

Yesssssss, I knew that A Boy and His Blob would be the first one (because it is alphabetically)

That snowman game looks amazing, thanks for posting about this... Love Sokoban and the char design looks cute.

OP you forgot to include Vegetable Game.

http://www.kongregate.com/games/TerryCavanagh_B/vegetable-game

Best thread in a long time!
It's nice to see see some positivity on here, subbed.
Lose well!

One of the harvest moon games on PS2 has a love button for animal interaction. Usually means doing a hug.

Don't remember which one, sorry.

The Last Guardian.

Trico was basically a hug magnet. I pet/hugged him after every puzzle or anytime I met back up with Trico.


To have Trico pet you back like in that gif is great. Im obvioisly attached to Trico but when he showed affection back to the boy were magical moments.

Kirby Super Star has a hug command in co-op. to heal each other or something. don't remember what button you push.

halfbeast said:

Kirby Super Star has a hug command in co-op. to heal each other or something. don't remember what button you push.

Click to expand...

That's a kiss friend.

KSS probably invented the Kiss Button.

I really need to buy ABahB...

Man God said:

That's a kiss friend.

KSS probably invented the Kiss Button.

Click to expand...

oh? well, they also hug, so a hug'n kiss command?

If you left him hanging then you're a monster.

I added God of War, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life and Vegetable Game to the list and The Walking Dead: Season Two and Kirby Super Star to the honorable mentions.

I still need instructions for The Last Guardian before I can add it to OP.

Gigarator said:

If you left him hanging then you're a monster.

Click to expand...

Please mention the name of the game. I can see it's an Assassin's Creed game, but there's a few of those and I don't know the character in question.

Chainsawkitten said:

I still need instructions for The Last Guardian before I can add it to OP.

Click to expand...

You hold Circle anytime near Trico to have the boy pet him. This can be done anywhere, standing next to him, while holding onto him, while perched on Trico's head and so forth.

Sometimes Trico nuzzles the boy back when you pet him, as seen in that gif.

Chainsawkitten said:

Please mention the name of the game. I can see it's an Assassin's Creed game, but there's a few of those and I don't know the character in question.

Click to expand...

Ass Creed 2. Its an honorable mention at best

hugging this thread

Hug button is cool, but can we get a definitive guide to the Doug button?

I always imagined that the Kirby characters were sharing food with each other ala ants in Sim Ant (and real life). It only happens after one character grabs up a food/health pick up.

EDIT:

In Twilight Princess you can pick up dogs and cats and Link basically hugs them, I think it bears inclusion.

Could you hug your dog in Haunting Ground?

Edit: oh sorry, I missed this exact question in the OP.

Street Fighter 2:

E.Honda's throw move is a series of bear hugs...

I want to hug this thread.

I don't know if I would count it myself, but Final Fantasy XIV has the emote

/embrace

Click to expand...

given as a quest reward, that does this:



I say that I wouldn't count it because each player has to type the command at the same time so the animations match each other; if only one player types the command, the other will be immobile receiving a hug.

FFXIV also has a

/hug

Click to expand...

emote, but that one is just a pat on the back.

JinjoUnchained said:

Hug button is cool, but can we get a definitive guide to the Doug button?

Click to expand...

What the fuck does the Doug button do!?!?

One honorable mention would probably be the many moments you're able to hug someone during their final social link level up in Persona 4

Chainsawkitten said:

A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build Windows / Mac / Linux

A puzzle game from the makers of Sokoban about building snowmen (and snowwomen) which you can then hug.
How to hug: ???? The material for the game makes it clear you can hug completed snowmen but I haven't played it so I don't know the specific controls. GAF detectives please report!

Click to expand...

The game is also on mobile, which is where I played, and hugging is as simple as tapping on a completed snowman. I'd assume on PC that would be done by clicking.

djtiesto said:

That snowman game looks amazing, thanks for posting about this... Love Sokoban and the char design looks cute.

Click to expand...

The game is a cool combination of sokoban and hanoi tower. I quite enjoyed the game on iOS and do recommend the game to puzzle game fans.

Anyone?

Amazing idea for a thread, thank you for making it and for all the work you put into it!

Just a question, though, what do you mean about the nonconsenual hug in Dropsy? What happens there? :/

Garrett Hawke said:

I really need to get A Boy and His Blob, it looks so cute

Click to expand...

It's really great! You should definitely pick it up. We still need to beat that one but very much enjoyed what we played of it.

This is a wonderful thread.

Ha, I love Chris Gethard but I didn't know he had a game made about hugging.

Mass Effect 2 has a hug prompt with Tali during her companion mission after

maxcriden said:

Amazing idea for a thread, thank you for making it and for all the work you put into it!

Just a question, though, what do you mean about the nonconsenual hug in Dropsy? What happens there? :/

Click to expand...

As part of the main questline you hug < Puzzle solution.

Gigarator said:

If you left him hanging then you're a monster.

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I'm so glad we've moved beyond surprise random cutscene QTEs

I was eating something and the controller was a few feet away

The wound has healed but the scars will never fade

Might be borderline, but in Watch Dogs 2 you get a prompt to pet dogs if you walk close enough to them. There's a little animation, close up, showing you kneeling down and saying 'Who's a good boy?' or something like that.

I like doing it.

petethepanda said:

I'm so glad we've moved beyond surprise random cutscene QTEs

I was eating something and the controller was a few feet away

The wound has healed but the scars will never fade

Click to expand...

YOU'RE A MONSTER

Belker said:

Might be borderline, but in Watch Dogs 2 you get a prompt to pet dogs if you walk close enough to them. There's a little animation, close up, showing you kneeling down and saying 'Who's a good boy?' or something like that.

I like doing it.

Click to expand...

This probably deserves a separate thread devoted to games where you can pet dogs! I'll add Valiant Hearts to the list.