A Dump in the Dark

About

A Dump in the Dark is a single player casual shooter game with horror and erotic themes. It was developed by Oubliette and was released on January 24, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Welcome to earth, but it might be a little bit different than you remember leaving it. You will gape in horror, as you face horrid abominations with only your rump to help see you through the darkness.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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72%

Audience ScoreBased on 254 reviews

story8 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

Unique and daring concept blending grotesque comedy with horror, creating a memorable and bewildering experience.
Detailed and atmospheric environments with moments of genuinely effective horror and unsettling mood.
Affordably priced indie game with a lot of content, including multiple levels, easter eggs, and some narrative depth for those interested.

Poor controls and unoptimized performance lead to frustrating gameplay and technical issues.
Lack of subtitles and unclear objectives make the story incoherent and levels confusing to progress through.
Visuals and audio design are often chaotic and underwhelming, detracting from immersion and player understanding.

story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
The game's story is a complex, surreal, and often confusing mix of dark themes, symbolism, and bizarre humor, involving creatures called gribbles and a war veteran's trauma. However, poor audio balance, lack of subtitles, and disjointed narrative structure make it difficult to follow or fully appreciate for many players. While some praise its uniqueness and depth, others find it nonsensical and overshadowed by crude content and gameplay issues.
- “The game has a branching story, with multiple endings and choices that affect the outcome.”
- “The story was amazing and very complex and the character development was insane.”
- “This is the best story I have seen in a video game in the past 5 years.”
- “There is an underlying attempt at a larger mythos involving darkness, inner corruption, and ritualistic themes, but storytelling rarely follows a cohesive or linear structure.”
- “Because there are no subtitles, players will have no idea what the story is (outside of level descriptions) as a lot of the dialogue is overshadowed by loud sound effects and active scenes that do not allow players to at least stop and listen to whatever story the game had haphazardly concocted.”
- “The dialogue tells a near incomprehensible story.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is a mix of absurd, crude, and dark toilet humor combined with horror elements, creating a polarizing experience that some players find hilariously memorable and others see as inconsistent or juvenile. While many appreciate its bold, grotesque comedy and dark fantasy themes, others criticize it for being chaotic, janky, or relying too heavily on lowbrow jokes. Overall, it appeals mainly to those who enjoy edgy, boundary-pushing humor alongside challenging gameplay.
- “Rather than attempting to present a polished or traditionally structured horror experience, the game leans into discomfort and absurd humor, blending crude bodily themes with occult imagery and dark fantasy elements in a way that is intentionally confrontational.”
- “For them, the surreal grotesque humor and boundary-pushing design create a memorable cult experience.”
- “This game made me laugh so hard and I overall really enjoyed it although I might not show it off to the general people I know I do recommend it to those that are interested already.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
75%
14%
The gameplay is highly unconventional and centered around bizarre mechanics like shooting different types of "dumps," blending grotesque comedy with horror elements. While some praise the unique and frightening sequences and well-executed physics, many find the mechanics buggy, inconsistent, frustrating, and poorly integrated with the environment, leading to a disjointed and often punishing experience. Overall, the gameplay tends to alienate mainstream players due to its reliance on shock value and lack of polish.
- “Despite the absurd premise, the mechanics operate within a recognizable action framework: players move through levels, manage ammunition, fight enemies, and navigate environmental hazards.”
- “The game has a unique gameplay mechanic: you can shoot different types of dumps from your rear, each with its own effects and advantages.”
- “The part where you're being ridden through a cornfield with an insane clown after you is genuinely frightening, but much more importantly it actually has a set goal and clear gameplay to it.”
- “Others criticize the title for its lack of cohesion, mechanical inconsistency, and reliance on shock value over meaningful depth.”
- “The gameplay is too frustrating and the inability to skip cutscenes to simply try again takes away from the immersion.”
- “Once I got over the initial shock and tried playing the game right, I found the game mechanics intrusive and occasionally unresponsive.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The game's graphics are a mix of low-budget, retro, and grotesque horror styles, often described as dark and unsettling but also cluttered and difficult to discern. Opinions vary widely, with some praising the eerie visuals as fitting for horror fans, while others criticize the poor quality, lack of customization options, and overly graphic or off-putting content. Overall, the graphics contribute to a disturbing atmosphere but may hinder clarity and player enjoyment.
- “Enemy design blends low-budget horror aesthetics with cartoonish grotesque elements.”
- “The game has decent graphics and sound, with a retro style and a dark atmosphere.”
- “Pros: hard at times and the dark visuals are a plus for a horror fan.”
- “The visuals are so bad that I can't tell what's going on and gave up after about 30 minutes trying to stream this game for my friends on Discord.”
- “There is no story to speak of, the controls are buggy at best and the graphics are reminiscent of the early 2000s.”
- “A game in desperate need of subtitles and meaningful graphics quality options.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with poor performance and lack of refinement leading to a frustrating and unpolished experience. Many users describe it as badly optimized and incoherent, negatively impacting overall playability.
- “Its an incoherent, terribly optimized mess.”
- “Horribly optimized, no menus!”
- “Performance and presentation lack the refinement seen in more polished indie releases, contributing to a sense that the game prioritizes concept over execution.”
- “It's an incoherent, terribly optimized mess.”
- “Very unoptimized game with poor performance.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The game features a dark, retro-style atmosphere that effectively blends horror elements with crude comedy, creating a unique but sometimes tonal imbalance. While its intense and no-nonsense horror vibe hooks players, the mix of humor may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the atmosphere is engaging for fans of atmospheric horror with a quirky twist.
- “The game has decent graphics and sound, with a retro style and a dark atmosphere.”
- “I love atmospheric horror.”
- “If you like atmospheric horror games, and the idea of a huge blubbery butt throwing out ropes of poop and turd projectiles amuses you, pick this up.”
- “This tonal imbalance—between horror atmosphere and crude comedy—defines much of the experience.”
- “The game had me hooked with its no-nonsense balls-out atmosphere but sadly fell apart when I tried to actually play it.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is inconsistent, with some users noting it as well-polished and mostly bug-free, while others report numerous glitches, buggy controls, and poor camera functionality that hinder gameplay. Overall, stability issues significantly impact the experience for many players.
- “The fact that it's buggy and has the most simplistic mechanics of all times adds to the deranged experience you will go through.”
- “There is no story to speak of, the controls are buggy at best and the graphics are reminiscent of the early 2000s.”
- “Very bad game, too many glitches to even beat a single level.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
The music is praised for its quality and ability to enhance the gaming experience, providing both relaxation and immersive, unsettling atmospheres in certain scenarios. It effectively complements the visuals and overall mood of the game.
- “I spend a great time playing it, the graphics are amazing, and the soundtrack is too. With the new RTX technology, the rendering is just outstanding!”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “Some of the scenarios it puts you in are creative horror setups meant to disgust, but the music contributes to making you feel uncomfortable.”
- “Some of the scenarios it puts you in are creative horror stuff meant to disgust, but the cluttered brown visuals, music, and bizarre dialogue really start to make you feel uncomfortable.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a powerful emotional experience, combining moments of violence, horror, and awe that evoke strong feelings, including tears. Its diverse and intense scenes deeply engage players on an emotional level.
- “This game features violent, touching, bizarre, horrific, stomach-turning, and awe-inspiring scenes.”
- “I cried.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers significant replay value, providing a substantial amount of content that makes it a great bargain for its price.
- “The game is also very cheap, and offers a lot of content and replay value for its price.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users praise the character development as exceptional and deeply intricate, complementing an already complex and engaging story.
- “The story was amazing and very complex, and the character development was insane.”