Summary
- Tails Of Iron offers a grimdark Soulslike experience with color-coded attacks and a dark, gritty world.
- Darkest Dungeon's flawed characters and Lovecraftian horrors contribute to its grimdark nature.
- Quasimorph features brutal, unforgiving gameplay that matches its dark science fiction atmosphere.
The grimdark subgenre is packed with dystopian ideas, harsh and unforgiving worlds, and morally gray characters. Fictional universes such as Warhammer: 40,000 (from where it could be argued the subgenre spawned), and gritty fantasies such as Game of Thrones are just a couple of strong examples.
The Best Warhammer 40,000 Games, Ranked
Whether they ooze the game's grimdark setting or replicate the visceral gameplay the books portray, here are the best Warhammer 40K games.
While grimdark worlds and themes are certainly popular in fiction, especially in film, television, and books, the subgenre is less represented in video games. That is, outside of games set in the world of Warhammer: 40,000. It could be argued that because indie games are less focused on catering to broad audiences, they are free to present players with darker, grittier worlds. These examples offer just a handful of grimdark indie experiences.
1 Tails Of Iron - A Grimdark Soulslike About Rats
Steam User Rating: 88%
Tails of Iron
- Released
- September 17, 2021
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Developer
- Odd Bug Studio
This soulslike RPG features unforgiving, slow-burning combat complete with an active healing item, dodge roll, and the ability to parry. Tails Of Iron also innovates with its color-coded attacks that keep players on their toes and help greatly with enemy telegraphing.
Tails Of Iron takes place in a war-torn world in which the Rats are suffering from an invasion of horrid Frogs. Players take on the role of Redgi, who, following the brutal death of his Father, the King, must embark on a treacherous journey. The game's world is dark and gritty and perfectly contrasts its anthropomorphized characters.
2 Darkest Dungeon - A Strategy RPG With Deeply Flawed Characters
Steam User Rating: 91%
Darkest Dungeon
This turn-based strategy RPG features a brutal roguelike structure and permanent death mechanics that make every dungeon crawl a perilous journey. The game features a dark and gritty hand-drawn art style, appropriately dark dungeons to explore, and a variety of unforgiving mechanics that complement its grimdark atmosphere.
The characters that make up a party in Darkest Dungeon are all flawed, and as they become stressed while exploring dungeons, these flaws begin to show themselves in extremely detrimental ways. This constant unknowing, as well as the lack of trust between the player and their party, further adds to Darkest Dungeon's grimdark nature, and the Lovecraftian horrors that players are tasked with facing are particularly grimdark, too.
3 Quasimorph - A Survival Extraction-Shooter Roguelite
Steam User Rating: 78%
- Platforms: PC
- Released: December 8, 2022
- Developer: Magnum Scriptum
Quasimorph takes place in a dark dystopian science fiction future in which corporations control space, and an abundance of horrific creatures plague space stations. The world of Quasimorph is downtrodden, gritty, and unforgiving, and its gameplay reflects that in more ways than one.
Quasimorph tasks players with delving into horror-infested space stations to retrieve valuable items before attempting to extract with as much loot as humanly possible. Dying in Quasimorph doesn't mean the end, but it does mean players lose everything on their person. This brutal, unforgiving gameplay, as well as the game's survival mechanics, perfectly match Quasimorph's atmosphere and tone.
4 Blasphemous - A Dark Fantasy Metroidvania
Steam User Rating: 90%
Blasphemous
- Released
- September 10, 2019
- Developer(s)
- The Game Kitchen
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Metroidvania, Soulslike
This brutal Metroidvania features action platformer gameplay with hack-and-slash combat mechanics and light RPG systems. The game features dark religious themes, a gritty fantasy setting, and an abundance of unsettling visuals and character designs.
Blasphemous focuses its gameplay on exploration, brutal and unforgiving combat, and spectacular boss fights against horrific creatures. While the gameplay and lack of hand-holding won't be for everyone, Blasphemous is a rich, grimdark fantasy experience set in a distinctive world.
5 Salt And Sanctuary - A 2D Dark Souls In A Dingy World
Steam User Ratings: 89%
Salt and Sanctuary
This side-scrolling action RPG features elements of soulslikes and Metroidvanias, particularly the former. Salt And Sanctuary sees players exploring a heavily stylized world with stark colors and Gothic character designs, discovering new locations and improving their character along the way.
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Hanging corpses, vicious enemies, and dark environments are a common occurrence in the world of Salt And Sanctuary, and the game's Gothic art style is an ideal match. For fans of Dark Souls and Metroidvanias alike, Salt And Sanctuary is a reliable choice.
6 Infernax - An Action Platformer Inspired By Old-School Castlevania
Steam User Rating: 92%
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
- Released: February 14, 2022
- Developer: Berzerk Studio
This action platformer takes clear inspiration from old Castlevania titles, tasking players with exploring the world and looking for key items to progress, all while defeating an abundance of enemies and bosses. The game takes place in a dark fantasy setting, in which the player's home has been ravaged by a mysterious plague.
Infernax features a hefty dose of gore, bloodthirsty creatures to defeat, and even story decisions to make that can have major consequences. Infernax will at times ask players to decide between killing an NPC or saving them, and this helps to boost the game's already grimdark atmosphere and tone.
Best Dark Fantasy Co-Op Games
The following games boast wonderful dark fantasy settings and allow players to fight through them with a friend.