Summary
- 2016 roguelike RPG Darkest Dungeon experienced a popularity spike on Steam in early April.
- The game recently reached over 17,000 concurrent Steam players, just 2,000 shy of its all-time peak from 2017.
- Its resurgence is ostensibly connected to the fact that Darkest Dungeon is currently available at an all-time low price of $2.49, having been treated to a 90% discount.
Darkest Dungeon has been blowing up on Steam since early April. Its massive popularity spike arrived more than eight years following Darkest Dungeon's debut.
Developed by Vancouver-based Red Hook Studios, the roguelike RPG was released on PC in January 2016 before making its way to a wide variety of other platforms, ranging from the PS Vita and Switch to iOS devices and the Xbox One, over the following two years. All versions of the game have received widespread critical acclaim, with many reviewers praising Darkest Dungeon for its addictive gameplay loop, grisly gothic setting, and unique art style, among other qualities.
Darkest Dungeon Gets Close to Its All-Time Player Peak
Eight years later, the original PC version of the RPG is now once again blowing up in popularity, having reached over 17,000 concurrent Steam players on April 5, as first spotted by PCGamesN. That is only about 2,000 people short of its all-time peak of 19,357, which was recorded shortly following its release, as is usually the case with non-live-service games.
All-Time Low Price Is Likely to Thank for Darkest Dungeon's Popularity Spike
This massive popularity boost is ostensibly related to the fact that Darkest Dungeon received a massive 90% discount on April 1. The promotion saw this grimdark indie game drop to its lowest-ever price of $2.49 on Steam. While officially touted as a midweek deal, the offer itself will remain available until Monday, April 8. All three of the game's DLC packs are also available at 75% off during this period, with The Shieldbreaker being the cheapest of the lot, priced at $0.99. Meanwhile, The Color of Madness and The Crimson Court can presently be purchased at $1.24 and $2.43, respectively.
Older games getting massive popularity boosts from major price cuts is a fairly common occurrence across all platforms, Valve's PC storefront very much included. Back in late February, a similar promotion propelled Stardew Valley near the top of Steam's sales charts, although that particular achievement was also helped by the fact that the beloved farming sim had just received a major content update at the time.
Darkest Dungeon 2 Has Also Dropped to Its Lowest-Ever Price
The new Darkest Dungeon discount also coincides with its sequel hitting an all-time low price of $21.96. That 66% discount will be available until April 18, but hasn't had a comparable effect on the game's popularity, with its current concurrent player number being roughly ten times smaller than that of its predecessor. Still, Darkest Dungeon 2 has already managed to outperform the first game shortly following its mid-2023 release, when it peaked at 23,800 simultaneous Steam players.
Darkest Dungeon
- Released
- January 19, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes through twisted forests, forgotten warrens, ruined crypts, and beyond. You'll battle not only unimaginable foes, but stress, famine, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Uncover strange mysteries, and pit your heroes against an array of fearsome monsters with an innovative strategic turn-based combat system. Can you stem the tide of eldritch horrors erupting across your family’s ancestral estate?
Remember: nothing can be gained without loss. Descend at your peril into this award-winning game.
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Red Hook Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Red Hook Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 58 Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 2 GB (November 2023)
