Darkest Dungeon

"Darkest Dungeon will push even the most hardcore gamers to their breaking points, but those who are brave enough to take it on are in for a dastardly roguelike rivaled by few others."

84%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

grinding, stability

91% User Score Based on 59,602 reviews

Critic Score 75%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

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About

Darkest Dungeon is a gothic roguelike RPG that explores the psychological stresses of adventuring. Recruit and lead a team of flawed heroes through treacherous environments, battling monsters, hunger, disease, and the dark. With a unique affliction system, innovative combat, and hand-drawn art, players face both external and internal challenges in their fight against the forces of evil.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 59,611 reviews

gameplay3.4k positive mentions

grinding2.6k negative mentions

The game features a rich atmosphere and intricate mechanics, effectively capturing a Lovecraftian horror aesthetic with stunning visuals and haunting narration.
The gameplay loop is engaging and addictive, emphasizing strategy and resource management, with a unique stress system that adds depth to character management.
Darkest Dungeon offers immense replayability due to its procedural generation, diverse character builds, and a robust modding community, keeping players engaged for hundreds of hours.

The game is characterized by a steep difficulty curve and punishing mechanics, often leading to frustrating RNG elements that can result in unexpected character deaths and setbacks.
Many players find the grinding aspect tedious and repetitive, detracting from the overall enjoyment and making the experience feel less rewarding over time.
The game suffers from significant bugs and optimization issues, particularly for users with AMD hardware, leading to crashes and performance problems that can hinder gameplay.

gameplay
9,654 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The gameplay of *Darkest Dungeon* is characterized by its challenging and punishing mechanics, particularly the unique stress system that adds depth to character management and combat. Players often find the game engaging and addictive, with a strong emphasis on strategy and resource management, though many express frustration with the RNG elements that can lead to unexpected character deaths and setbacks. While the game offers a rich atmosphere and intricate mechanics, it can also feel repetitive and grindy, especially as players navigate the complexities of hero management and dungeon exploration.
- “The gameplay is so addicting, even when dying and full wiping over and over.”
- “The unique stress and sanity mechanics add a layer of psychological horror, making each playthrough tense and unpredictable.”
- “The gameplay loop is brilliant: managing your roster, planning your dungeon runs, and eking out victories against impossible odds feels rewarding… until RNG decides to ruin your day.”
- “The gameplay is overwhelmingly punishing, with unfair challenges even at comparable levels and an absurdly steep difficulty curve from the start.”
- “The stress mechanic is so powerful that I can feel myself get stressed out and pray for it to all end with a heart attack before my party gets wiped.”
- “The mechanics are simple to learn, but very hard to master due to the ever growing difficulty.”
story
6,436 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
76%
4%
The story of "Darkest Dungeon" is a dark and atmospheric narrative that unfolds through the player's journey to reclaim their ancestral estate, plagued by eldritch horrors unleashed by their ancestor's reckless pursuits. While the overarching plot is relatively straightforward, it is enriched by the game's immersive lore, narrated by the haunting voice of Wayne June, and the unique backstories of each character, which add depth to the gameplay experience. Players often find themselves emotionally invested in their heroes, as the game's mechanics emphasize the harsh realities of loss and failure, making each mission a tense and unpredictable adventure.
- “The visuals, storytelling, and atmosphere are amazing and truly deliver on a Victorian-era cosmic horror story.”
- “The story isn’t spoon-fed; instead, it’s discovered piece by piece, keeping your curiosity constantly alive.”
- “With its gothic atmosphere, challenging mechanics, and deep storytelling, it offers players not just a game, but an experience.”
- “It's been five years since I last played Darkest Dungeon, and every time I glance at my Steam library, I'm confused seeing 295 hours logged while I remember almost nothing of the story or its impact.”
- “The dread of having to rebuild my team from scratch overshadowed any fleeting moments of atmosphere or storytelling that might have been there.”
- “The story is pushed to the background and after 13 hours I have gotten almost no further idea of what the story is about other than that your ancestor summoned a dark force or something and you're here to fix it.”
graphics
5,435 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
41%
1%
The graphics of "Darkest Dungeon" are widely praised for their unique hand-drawn, gothic art style that effectively conveys the game's dark and oppressive atmosphere. Players appreciate the intricate character designs and the way the visuals complement the Lovecraftian themes, enhancing the overall immersive experience. While some critiques mention the simplicity of the graphics, many agree that the aesthetic choices contribute significantly to the game's charm and emotional impact.
- “The visuals, storytelling, and atmosphere are amazing and truly deliver on a Victorian era cosmic horror story.”
- “From the haunting narration to the oppressive art style, every element pulls you into its grim, Lovecraftian world.”
- “The art style is stunning, with hand-drawn characters and environments that ooze gothic horror.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, and the horrorish setting gives a feeling of uneasiness, but the grind that you have to put into it just sucks the enjoyment out of this game.”
- “The graphics are poor.”
- “The graphics looked not that great from the screenshots to me, but they actually work really well with some neat effects added and are much better on your computer.”
atmosphere
3,483 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
37%
1%
The atmosphere of "Darkest Dungeon" is widely praised for its immersive and oppressive qualities, effectively capturing a Lovecraftian horror aesthetic. Reviewers highlight the game's stunning art style, haunting soundtrack, and exceptional narration by Wayne June, which together create a sense of dread and tension throughout the gameplay. While the challenging mechanics and RNG elements can lead to frustration, many players find that the richly crafted atmosphere and emotional weight of the characters keep them engaged and returning for more.
- “The Lovecraftian themes are present throughout, creating a dense and engaging atmosphere for a desolate landscape of a ruined family.”
- “The visuals, storytelling, and atmosphere are amazing and truly deliver on a Victorian-era cosmic horror story.”
- “Darkest Dungeon is a masterclass in creating a challenging, atmospheric experience.”
- “In the end, Darkest Dungeon became less about its eerie lore and atmosphere and more about the relentless grind that drained every bit of enjoyment out of my playthroughs.”
- “The atmosphere of this game is extremely nihilistic and isn't fun to play at all.”
- “The atmosphere is dark and gloomy, giving the player a sense of imminent dread after every step they take.”
grinding
2,676 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The grinding aspect of "Darkest Dungeon" is a significant point of contention among players, with many describing it as tedious and repetitive. While some appreciate the challenge and strategic depth that comes with managing resources and leveling characters, others find the necessity of grinding for upgrades and replacements after character deaths to be frustrating and time-consuming. Overall, the game is characterized by a heavy reliance on grinding, which can detract from the enjoyment for those who prefer a more streamlined experience.
- “The upgrade system of the village is grindy but not too grindy.”
- “Quests are categorized by level so you'll always be playing at your party's skill level; no farming experience on under-leveled quests for you!”
- “No grinding, quick leveling but still requires skill, and even with an RNG element; it is very downplayed and rare that one turn will make you lose the game.”
- “Game has a pretty fun system on the surface once you get to know it, but soon you'll realize the smallest mistake will undo hours of work and force you to commit to a tedious grind again.”
- “Each time a high-level hero fell, it wasn't just another defeat; it was a jarring reminder of the tedious grind ahead.”
- “At its core, this is a grindy, repetitive game where you frequently lose a lot of your progress.”
music
2,343 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
43%
1%
The music in "Darkest Dungeon" is widely praised for its ability to enhance the game's dark and oppressive atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its dynamic nature that shifts in intensity based on gameplay conditions, such as torchlight levels. The soundtrack, composed by Stuart Chatwood, is described as haunting and fitting, perfectly complementing the game's gothic art style and the narrative delivered by Wayne June, whose voice acting adds significant depth to the experience. While some players note that the music can become repetitive over time, the overall consensus is that it significantly contributes to the immersive and tense environment of the game.
- “The soundtrack perfectly complements the mood, making every moment feel like a descent into hell.”
- “The music is ominous and brooding, creating a sense of impending doom, while the sound effects—such as the growl of monsters or the sound of footsteps in the dark—heighten the tension.”
- “The music, art style, voice acting, and tone of the game are good.”
- “The music is bad and full of annoying flourishes!”
- “The music is repetitive and can be turned off after about 20 minutes; you'll have heard it all by then.”
- “The soundtrack is kind of forgettable imo but it manages to get its job done by adding to the already stressful atmosphere of the game.”
replayability
732 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
46%
1%
The game's replayability is highly praised, with many players noting its endless variety due to procedural generation, diverse character builds, and a robust modding community that significantly enhances the experience. While some mention a grindy nature and RNG elements that can frustrate, the overall consensus is that the game offers immense replay value, making it a favorite for those who enjoy challenging and strategic gameplay. Many reviews rate the replayability as a perfect 10/10, highlighting the game's ability to keep players engaged for hundreds of hours.
- “Replayability: with over 400 hours played, I can confidently say the gameplay loop of 'fight, learn, die, repeat' remains engaging.”
- “The variety of heroes, vast enemies, complex and simple strategies alike, random events, quirks, secrets, trinkets, and areas opens up nigh-unlimited opportunities for replayability and customization, especially with any of the DLCs.”
- “Endlessly replayable, challenging, iconic art style, and a wide variety of easy-to-use user mods.”
- “A solid game but is ultimately spoiled by RNG combat and lack of replayable content.”
- “The gameplay is only replayable because there is a level cap system preventing you from using high-level characters when you've built a few full teams.”
- “Despite not being a conventional roguelike, it still has immense replayability.”
emotional
526 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Darkest Dungeon" is a central theme that resonates deeply with players, often described as a harrowing rollercoaster of highs and lows. Many reviewers express how the game's brutal difficulty and permadeath mechanics lead to intense emotional investment in characters, resulting in heartbreak when they inevitably fall. The combination of challenging gameplay, atmospheric narration, and the psychological toll on characters creates a uniquely immersive experience that can evoke genuine feelings of despair, joy, and catharsis, making it both a rewarding and emotionally exhausting journey.
- “Darkest Dungeon is an emotional rollercoaster, with dizzying highs when you succeed against all odds and terrifying lows when you fail miserably despite your best efforts.”
- “This game will reward you with an emotional rollercoaster of a finely crafted experience.”
- “You will become emotionally attached to your heroes and then devastated when they eventually die.”
- “You are a masochist, enjoying suffering from endless failures, unfair RNG, and a boring story.”
humor
498 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark, morbid comedy and absurd situations, often arising from the characters' quirks and the unpredictable nature of gameplay. Players find themselves laughing at the grim outcomes of their heroes' misadventures, such as unexpected deaths or comical afflictions, while the witty narration adds to the overall experience. Despite its punishing difficulty, the game's unique sense of humor keeps players engaged, making the challenges feel both frustrating and entertaining.
- “The game can be heartbreaking and also exciting, lots of funny moments too; my crusader touched some water and got rabies.”
- “It's funny that managing stress is a big part of this game because that's all I feel when I play.”
- “The narrator is hilarious.”
- “Sadly, the gameplay did not click at all for me: at first interesting, it quickly became very repetitive and not funny at all.”
- “It's not funny, it's a game for masochists.”
- “There's so many mechanics stacked on top of each other to make your gaming experience unpleasant; it's not funny.”
character development
173 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
51%
4%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with many praising the unique and striking character designs that enhance the overall atmosphere and aesthetic. While some players appreciate the depth of character management and the emotional attachment formed through gameplay, others criticize the lack of meaningful progression and narrative depth, noting that character development can feel insignificant or repetitive over time. Overall, the game's art style and character design are frequently highlighted as standout features, contributing to a rich and immersive experience despite some shortcomings in character growth mechanics.
- “The gothic, grimy aesthetic reflects the world’s bleakness, and the character designs are strikingly detailed, with each class having unique visual traits.”
- “The character designs are amazing, all with their own unique ways of fighting/buffing and healing the team.”
- “The atmosphere, character designs, sound design, and music all wrapped up in its diorama-like presentation is a feast for the eyes and ears.”
- “The lack of character development combined with how little you are actually supposed to care about them makes the game less interesting over time.”
- “There is no character development, almost no setting advancement, and barely any plot.”
- “At the moment, combat is a dull slog, dungeons are shockingly undifferentiated, and character development offers few rewards married to many punishments.”
optimization
164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
59%
16%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting smooth performance even on low-end hardware, while others experience significant issues, particularly with AMD drivers leading to stuttering and crashes. The game's mechanics heavily emphasize party optimization and stress management, which can complicate gameplay and lead to frustration if not handled correctly. Overall, while many players appreciate the game's depth and atmosphere, the optimization challenges can detract from the experience for some users.
- “You get through the dungeons with a lot of effort, including buying all the torches and turning every optimization screw; otherwise, the enemies will wipe the floor with you.”
- “Each character can develop quirks or afflictions that impact their behavior and performance, requiring the player to manage not only health but also the mental well-being of their team.”
- “To have any hope of taking down high-level monsters, your crew must be a well-oiled, well-drilled machine with its members optimized to work well within the crew.”
- “You will not survive without abusing stun mechanics and highly optimized party builds that somebody else laid out for you.”
- “Great game but unfortunately has horrible performance if you have an AMD card and intend on using AMD drivers past 22.6.1.”
- “This game is still plagued by performance issues when using AMD drivers, and for that I cannot recommend you play this game.”
stability
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
2%
80%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches, including crashes, visual issues, and save file losses. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay with minimal problems, a substantial number have encountered frustrating technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game appears to be unstable for many, with a need for further patches and improvements to enhance its reliability.
- “Its a great game, it's stable with no glitches or bugs; it has a steep learning curve but it can be easily conquered with determination.”
- “The game feels well thought out, solidly coded, and bug free so far.”
- “This game already feels extremely polished and bug free.”
- “I played on and off for a while. I started a new playthrough and had a lot of fun, then it crashed and I couldn't open that save anymore as it would crash every time I went into it. I tried to fix it but it didn't work. Then when I backed up my files and uninstalled the game, my save just disappeared. The game is great and super fun, just buggy as hell.”
- “I've experienced visual glitches and regular crashes in just over 2 hours of playtime.”
- “This game is so buggy that most people are unable to play it at all, and the other half have to disable large amounts of content just to run the bare minimum.”
monetization
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
14%
77%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over intrusive in-game advertisements and DLC promotions that detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the absence of microtransactions, others feel that the game leans towards a cash grab mentality, particularly with the integration of ads into gameplay and the necessity of purchasing DLC for a complete experience. Overall, the monetization strategy has been criticized for undermining the game's immersive qualities and for feeling more aligned with mobile gaming practices.
- “This game is basically a more feature-filled version of labyrinth-mode Epic 7, but reworked in such a way that it doesn't have or need microtransactions.”
- “It's like a well-executed mobile game, but without waiting and microtransactions to skip the grind.”
- “Add in microtransactions to manage the stress, and it feels a lot like a mobile game.”
- “The darkest dungeon franchise has put such an emphasis on pay-to-win microtransactions that its most popular game mode, the online myestate, feels horribly discouraging from the outset due to the disadvantage you’ll face unless you’re willing to throw down extra cash.”
- “Also had to install mods to remove the in-game advertisements for their multiplayer DLC, which was shoehorned into the singleplayer campaign in the form of an annoying visual in your base and recurring in-universe events that would advertise the DLC again and again, even if you never took up the offer.”
- “However, getting pop-up ads in a paid game for DLC is decidedly uncool.”

75%Critics’ scoreBased on 18 critic reviews

Buy Darkest Dungeon

35h Median play time

74h Average play time

58h Main story

124h Completionist

10-100h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 404 analyzed playthroughs

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