Summary

• Dark fantasy presents grim themes and hopeless struggles.
• Dark fantasy games like Dark Souls are unforgiving and cruel.
• Dark fantasy games explore themes of corruption and oppression.

Where fantasy takes an idealized look at a simpler world of magic, might, and the rule of monarchs, the dark fantasy genre muddies that lens, twisting fantastic realms into the stuff of nightmares. Since most video games center around "kill or be killed," it's a great backdrop for hack-and-slash action.

"Dark fantasy" doesn't have to literally mean "as dim as nighttime" (although plenty of games in the genre adhere to this aesthetic). A good dark fantasy world showcases grim themes, hopeless situations, and an eternal struggle against the forces of evil or entropy (who are usually winning). Each game is ranked on its quality as games and how well it captures the "dark fantasy" feel and aesthetic.

7 Darkest Dungeon

An Intense Slowcrawl Through Terror, Stress, And Pain

Death and sacrifice are not only prevalent in Darkest Dungeon and its sequel but necessary, especially when first setting out. Darkest Dungeon demonstrates the true meaning of "dungeon crawler," as players will truly feel as though they are dragging each of their unfortunate recruits on their hands and knees through the gloomiest recesses of a nightmarish underworld.

The party's health is not just represented by a number that goes up and down. Each recruit's long-term physical and mental health is on the line, and even if the members survive a particularly brutal encounter, serious traumas may manifest in unexpected and tragic ways.

6 The Thief Series

A Lowly Housebreaker In A World Thick With Gloom

To remain undetected and successful, a keen thief must attune their eyes and ears to the sights and sounds of the world. That's why Thief was a pioneer in the first-person immersive sim genre: its thickly grim atmosphere and attention to detail are unmatched (especially in the sound department), even if its visuals are a little outdated by today's standards.

The levels in Thief resemble scenes drawn from the industrial Victorian times and the God-fearing Middle Ages with hints of magic large and small scattered around. Although players are confined to break-in jobs and tight spaces, there is a great dark fantasy world to explore while pilfering The City's most distinguished nobles and institutions.

5 The Blasphemous Series

The Metroidvania Christpunk Goretacular

Few games embrace the sublimely grotesque religious overtones of dark fantasy as thoroughly as Blasphemous, a sidescroller in the Metroidvania tradition set in Cvstodia, a world touched by an event called the Miracle, which is as much of a curse than it is a blessing. Players guide the Penitent One, the sole survivor of a massacre, on a journey of (some kind of) redemption through a land steeped in passionate suffering and blood-soaked altars.

Its haunting pixel art and "Christpunk" aesthetic, which draws heavily on Catholic iconography and classical painting, captures every detail of the grotesque. The Penitent One encounters and fights monstrosities worthy of pity more than anything else, from blinded giant babies to the thrice-fused flesh of an abomination made out of three sisters, and other deformed believers who were driven mad by the cruelty of the Miracle's touch.

4 The Diablo Series

Going Against The Devil

From the cursed catacombs of Tristram to the desolate hellscapes of later installments, the Diablo series has, from the get-go, oozed an atmosphere of corruption, oppression, and damnation. The world between the angels of High Heaven and the devils of Burning Hell, Sanctuary, teeters on the brink, plagued by demons incarnate, harassed by twisted cults, and watched over fragile mortal defenders.

The loot-driven gameplay and punishing difficulty balance well against the grim narrative, where the triumph of good always feels tenuous. The series has had its ups and downs in recent years, but its earlier games have inspired a slew of grimdark looter ARPGs, including Grim Dawn and Path of Exile.

3 The Dishonored Series

Between Industrial Misery And Jungle Horrors