Best Multiplayer Lovecraftian Games

While feelings of isolation, loneliness, and overall cosmic dread are quite popular in the works of Lovecraft, sometimes it's nice to experience such existential terror with a couple of friends (or strangers). After all, Ammi wasn't alone during the climax of Color Out of Space.

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Plenty of titles have done a fantastic job of translating Lovecraft's mythos into the medium of video games, whether directly lifting from his stories or just incorporating a few elements here and there. While not as many of these games offer co-op or multiplayer, there are still quite a few hidden gems that allow gamers to look cosmic horrors in the face in a group setting while trying to come out on top.

6 Remnant 2

A Soulslike Shooter With Horror Elements

Remnant 2 is perfect for groups looking for a real challenge. Like most soulslikes, Remnant 2 is very difficult, and the game's bread and butter lies in being able to play through it multiple times with new builds and strategies. It's also one of those games that's just so much more fun with a couple of friends.

The Lovecraft references are a bit more direct in Remnant: From the Ashes (the Ent literally looks like Cthulhu), but Remnant 2 still does a great job of making players feel as though they're taking on eldritch gods with shotguns and dogs.

5 Cthulhu's Reach: Devil Reef

A Classic Dungeon Crawler With Lovecraftian Themes

Cthulhu's Reach is a small indie game with a lot of heart. It was practically made for fans of the Cthulhu mythos, as the name implies. Basically, Cthulhu's Reach feels like playing a Lovecraftian Diablo game.

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By  Ritwik Mitra

Multiplayer works very well in Cthulhu's Reach, and friendly fire can even be turned on for extra chaos. The Lovecraftian inspiration is very prominent in this title, and fans of eldritch horror and classic dungeon crawlers/roguelikes will not be disappointed with what it brings to the table.

4 Don’t Starve Together

An Open World Co-Op Survival Horror

Don't Starve Together is the gold standard when it comes to open world survival games. The creepy 2D art style is a huge selling point, and the whole atmosphere of the game feels very bleak and unforgiving (similar to Lovecraft). There are also plenty of indirect (rot spreading through plants) and direct (a character that looks much like H.P. Lovecraft himself) references to the Lovecraft mythos in Don't Starve Together.

Don't Starve Together is one of the harder co-op survival games. Everything about the game feels very punishing, and there's usually a hefty sense of vulnerability and urgency, especially at the beginning of a run. There's nothing quite like cooking any wild berries that happen to be found just to survive the next night. However, players can eventually find creature comforts and live pretty comfortable lives in the creepy world of Don't Starve, relatively speaking, of course.

3 We Need To Go Deeper

A Submarine Based Co-Op Roguelike

We Need To Go Deeper is a co-op roguelike that requires a ton of teamwork and even more trial and error in order to finally succeed. Players take control of a submarine and venture as deep into the ocean as they can manage before perishing. Lovecraft fans know better than anyone else what horrors can lie in the ocean, and in We Need To Go Deeper, players are bound to meet a couple of monstrous eldritch beings while they venture into the unknown.

We Need To Go Deeper is best played with a couple of friends, since players have to manually control every portion of the submarine, from its steering to its guns. This is fine, though, since it's one of the best Lovecraftian games on the Nintendo Switch and PC, so most groups will have at least one system to play on. Runs are quite unforgiving, though, so players must be prepared to float to the top before they can sink to the bottom.

2 Once Human

Lovecraft Meets Survival SCP

Once Human is a survival MMORPG, with some added PvP depending on the server, that almost feels like 7 Days To Die but with a more MMO feel (and instead of zombies, players take on Siren Head and Eldritch Unity Beasts with machine gun arms). The Lovecraftian inspiration is very prominent, and the most alluring aspect of Once Human can be seen in its monster design. From gigantic buses crawling on six legs to hivemind creatures all chanting and crying at once while they attempt to gun everything in sight down, Once Human hits a primal creep factor that no other MMO has attempted.

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By  Alfie Claydon

Once Human is a great game to play with friends, and MMO fans will feel right at home from the beginning. Farming XP as a new player, defeating dungeons and bosses, and building bases are all part of the Once Human experience; there's just some creepypasta elements and Lovecraftian monsters sprinkled into the mix.

1 Bloodborne

A Soulslike With Lovecraftian Elements

Bloodborne does a fantastic job of capturing the atmosphere of isolation and cosmic horror that Lovecraft is known for. Not to mention, players are quite literally pitted against eldritch monsters. The main difference between Bloodborne and the works of Lovecraft is that players can actually fight the horrors in Bloodborne, although doing so is easier said than done.

Bloodborne does an excellent job of creating a vague world where everything just feels off. It's almost like stepping into Innsmouth for the first time and receiving the side eye from everyone in town. Co-op offsets a bit of the isolation, but it still maintains the overall atmosphere. Overall, Bloodborne offers a truly remarkable Lovecraftian experience that is incredibly hard to forget.