One of the best RPGs is also one of the most unsettling
Darkest Dungeon is an RPG in which your worst enemy is not the evil sorcerer, but your own folly. Your characters will lose their minds as they experience the horrific reality of the dungeons they explore. It’s like the videogame equivalent of an H. P. Lovecraft fanfiction written by Stephen King.
Your worst enemy: stress
This adventure belongs to the sub-genre known as RPG dungeon crawlers – or dungeon exploration. The name says it all. The famous pen-and-paper RPG Dungeons & Dragons is its greatest inspiration.
Think of great adventures and epic battles? Well, forget it – this is dirty and personal.
Darkest Dungeon focuses on the psychological stress of venturing into a dark dungeon full of monsters. You control the heroes who fall victim to attacks of paranoia, fear, anxiety… all of which have consequences on the gameplay. For example, if you don’t take good care of your equipment and something goes wrong, don’t be surprised if some of your warriors flee a key battle in terror.
Abandon all hope and sanity
Darkest Dungeon presents even veterans of the roleplaying genre with a challenge. It is hard, inflexible, and every victory is an oasis in a desert of despair and evil. Monsters are not typical of the genre: inspired by the arcane horrors of H.P. Lovecraft. You will fail many times. If looking for a simpler game or a power fantasy, leave while you still have time.
Don’t believe me? Here are some examples: you cannot manually save, deaths are permanent, you can heal your characters physical wounds but not their psychological ones, and you have to grind – a lot.
Featuring five dungeons to explore, each with its own unique enemies, the Darkest Dungeon should keep you tortured for weeks to come. And if you do beat the final areas – which is a challenge in itself – the pain doesn’t stop thanks to the inclusion of a New Game + mode.
A dungeon unfit for cowards
Darkest Dungeon is not for everyone. Looking for a challenging and complicated RPG, in which your heroes always run the risk of going crazy? Then come and delve into the darkest of dungeons.
