Many games over the years have championedbright and colorful graphics, cartoon styles, and a general sense of joy and charm. There’s something to be said about this outright hopeful, sunny outlook, but the quiet, dark, and gloomy atmospheres of games such asDark Soulsprovide a stark alternative.
These titles are deeply atmospheric, featuring downtrodden spirits and dark, mysterious environments that evoke a sense of eeriness. For players who enjoy the murky, dreary atmospheres ofMetro 2033, theStalkergames, or evenDeath Stranding, these indie titles are worth a try.
Rain Worldisa hardcore 2D platformerthat tasks players with surviving in a truly harsh, interconnected world. The overgrown ruins ofRain Worldmake for a surprisingly immersive setting, elevated by unique art direction and creature designs.
The game’s creatures are often menacing, almost creepy, and fit perfectly in the industrial wasteland. Coupled with a dark color palette and the occasional spikes of horror,Rain Worldmakes for a decidedly gloomy experience.
This hardcore survival simulation does little to hide its gloominess; the game’s dark and gray environments, facilitated by constant winter weather, consistently suppress and subdue, but the rich gloom that overwhelmsThe Long Darkis counterbalanced bymoments of true tranquilityand fiery coziness.
It is because ofThe Long Dark’seerie, lonely setting and the forgotten expanses that run between its various abandoned shelters that the moments of peace are able to shine. Stumbling into an inky-black cabin, sparsely lit by shafts of dusty light, and bringing the warm orange glow of fire into the room evokes a certain coziness that’s unique toThe Long Dark.
Action-packed and truly challenging on harder difficulties,Ravenswatchisan action-roguelikethat excels in online co-op. While somewhat typical in its action, the slick art direction and dark fantasy of its fairy tale world giveRavenswatcha unique look and feel.
The desperation of the gameplay, facilitated by a constantly ticking timer, preventsRavenswatchfrom feeling too dreary or plodding, but its world is layered with gloom. The first two acts, in particular, with their dark forests and stormy sands, make for particularly gloomy locales.
The clue’s in the name;Gloomwoodis a dark and appropriately gloomy immersive sim witha focus on stealth, elevated by a few twists borrowed from the survival-horror genre. The game’s low-poly 3D art style and sparsely-lit but wholly cinematic environments giveGloomwood’sunique Victorian setting a truly gloomy atmosphere.
This is only furthered by the at-times horrifying enemies and their deranged voice lines, the balance of silence with eerie music, and the slow pace of its gameplay. For fans of stealth-focused immersive sims and gritty, gloomy fantasy settings,Gloomwoodis certainly worth checking out.
With somany retro-FPS titlesout on Steam,HROTmay not look like much in comparison. At least, not right away. Its gunplay leaves something to be desired, especially when comparing it to the likes ofCULTICorDUSK, but it’s the game’s unique look and immersive setting that elevates it above the competition.
HROTis packed with drab, dreary environments, its levels punctuated by brutalist architecture. This makes for some truly gloomy and highly immersive locations, many of which manage to be memorable despite a repetitive color scheme.
From the very start,Hollow Knightcasts a gloomy blanket over its dark and dreary world. The underground setting is packed with unique biomes that balance color with gloom, but there’s almost always a tragic and often dark undertone to the atmosphere of each location.
Thehand-drawn art styleand careful color scheme provide a gloomy look and feel to many ofHollow Knight’senvironments, barring a few. The City of Tears and the Forgotten Crossroads are particularly gloomy, thanks to dark colors, sparse lighting, and truly melancholic music.
INSIDEis a dark and gloomy platformer with a heavy focus on light puzzle-solving. Despite featuring a handful of satisfying puzzles and a vague, unsettling narrative that’s deftly woven, the game’s gloomy art direction and hopeless dystopian setting are arguably its greatest strengths.
The total lack of dialogue and truly minimalist character designs, combined with flat textures, provides a heavily stylized look. However, the subdued colors and gloomy lighting preventINSIDEfrom ever looking cartoonish.
Kentucky Route Zerois a narrative adventure game that features little-to-no gameplay, instead driven by dialogue choices and slow, methodical exploration. This essentially makes for interactive fiction, butKentucky Route Zerois highly experimental in its approach, elevated by a magical-realist setting that’s rooted in Americana and surrealist imagery.
The truly strange nature ofKentucky Route Zeroand its twisted world makes up for most of its gloominess. The downtrodden characters that life won’t leave alone, the emotional music, and the frequently dark and eerie environments make for a truly memorable and utterly gloomy experience.
