Darq

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,879 reviews
  • gameplay
  • atmosphere
  • graphics
Darq Game Cover
Even if it may take you quicker than an afternoon nap to dust off, Darq is an experience that horror fans won't want to miss.
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DARQ is a single-player horror action game with a good plot, featuring Lloyd, a boy trapped in a nightmare, where he must bend physics and manipulate the dream world to survive. The game boasts ingenious mechanics, great graphics, and a fantastic soundtrack, with a focus on psychological horror through a creepy atmosphere. Gameplay includes gravity-defying puzzles and stealth-based gameplay, as Lloyd must avoid powerful and fast enemies in his quest to wake up.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,879 reviews
gameplay167 positive mentions
grinding29 negative mentions
  • Unique and creative puzzle mechanics that involve changing perspectives and walking on walls.
  • Beautiful art style and atmospheric sound design that enhances the eerie experience.
  • Engaging gameplay that keeps players on their toes with clever puzzles and occasional jump scares.
  • Very short playtime, typically around 2-3 hours, which may not justify the full price for some players.
  • Some puzzles can feel tedious or overly simplistic, lacking depth and challenge.
  • Stealth sections with slow-moving enemies can disrupt the flow of gameplay and feel frustrating.
  • gameplay526 mentions

    The gameplay of *Darq* is characterized by its innovative mechanics, particularly the ability to manipulate gravity and perspective, which allows for unique puzzle-solving experiences. While many players appreciate the clever design and atmospheric elements, some criticize the game for its short length and occasional clunky controls, leading to a mixed reception regarding overall engagement and challenge. Despite these drawbacks, the game is often compared favorably to titles like *Limbo* and *Little Nightmares* for its creative approach to puzzles and immersive aesthetic.

    • “The strong audiovisual design plays well with Darq's creative puzzle mechanics, putting an interesting twist on a well-trodden genre.”
    • “The gameplay formula in Darq is simple: the player goes to bed, wakes up in a nightmare, searches for the necessary tools, and uses them to find an escape.”
    • “The mechanics for manipulating the world are very clever and original.”
    • “All of the rest is pretty meh and I've found the gameplay extremely clunky.”
    • “The gameplay is very straightforward but the intricacies of some interactions and puzzles threw me off (in a good way I'd say).”
    • “The gameplay itself is pretty simple and focused around some simple mechanics and a bit of puzzles.”
  • atmosphere467 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Darq" is widely praised for its eerie, haunting quality, reminiscent of titles like "Little Nightmares" and "Inside." Reviewers highlight the game's exceptional sound design, dark visuals, and surreal environments that effectively create a sense of dread and immersion. While some note the game's short length and lack of narrative depth, the overall ambiance and artistic direction are considered standout features that enhance the puzzle-solving experience.

    • “The sound design, with its eerie whispers and haunting melodies, only adds to the atmosphere, drawing you even deeper into the nightmare.”
    • “From the moment you step into the shoes of Lloyd, a young boy trapped in a lucid nightmare, Darq captivates with its haunting atmosphere and surreal imagery.”
    • “The atmosphere is surreal, the attention to detail is amazing, each transition of scenery is implemented seamlessly with a nice touch of physics that just looks amazing.”
    • “The cacophonous sound effects and lack of light build an unsettling atmosphere, as does the absence of music.”
    • “The game has atmosphere, though sadly, the narrative and gameplay don’t take advantage of this at all.”
    • “The atmosphere is gloomy and dark, and the horrors that lie within it are enough to make you feel very uneasy.”
  • graphics438 mentions

    The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning, Tim Burton-inspired art style, which creates a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that complements the gameplay. Many reviewers noted the unique, surreal visuals and attention to detail, likening them to other notable titles like "Little Nightmares" and "Limbo." While the aesthetics are generally considered top-notch, some players felt that the graphics alone couldn't fully compensate for the game's relatively simple puzzles and short length.

    • “The game's art style is a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece.”
    • “The art style is both beautiful and unsettling, perfectly complementing the game's narrative themes.”
    • “The graphics are absolutely stunning, with detailed and creepy environments that truly bring the world of Darq to life.”
    • “The graphics are really well done, quite pleasing, though still dark and lacking in colors outside of shades of gray/blue and black/white.”
    • “The problem with the game though, is that it really isn't a puzzle game and the narrative is based solely on art style and atmosphere, which can't carry it fully.”
    • “It lacks the atmosphere, challenge, polish, sound design, animation design, graphic design, and level design of better games.”
  • story278 mentions

    The story in "Darq" is largely minimalistic and ambiguous, with many players noting a lack of clear narrative or character development. While some appreciate the atmospheric and surreal elements that suggest a deeper meaning, the absence of explicit storytelling leaves much open to interpretation, leading to mixed feelings about its effectiveness. Overall, the game is described as having a short main story, often completed in under three hours, with additional content that does not significantly enhance the narrative.

    • “The game devs also did a great job at slowly incorporating more story as well as harder puzzles and new 'equipment' as the story/game progresses.”
    • “The game's story of a boy trapped in a lucid nightmare and a story of its developer - Unfold Games.”
    • “The story is very atmospheric, each chapter is its own isolated dream, and the meanings are very open to interpretation.”
    • “The story is minimalistic, with no plot beats, characters, or dialogue except for gasps, screams, and yells.”
    • “The worst part of the game is the story.”
    • “There's no clear story or explanation to the events you go through which in a way adds a more disturbing factor to it while it escalates from 0 to 100 after completing a level.”
  • music101 mentions

    The music in *Darq* is a polarizing aspect, with some players appreciating the minimalistic approach that enhances the game's unsettling atmosphere through sound design, while others lament the lack of a more prominent soundtrack throughout gameplay. Many reviews highlight the haunting quality of the music that does appear, particularly during the credits, but note that the absence of a consistent score can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the sound effects and ambient noise are praised for their ability to create tension, even if the music itself is sparse.

    • “In addition to its captivating gameplay, Darq: Complete Edition also boasts a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's atmosphere.”
    • “From superb ambient melodies to pulse-pounding orchestral scores, the music enhances every moment of the experience, immersing players even deeper into Lloyd's twisted dreamscape.”
    • “The music and sound design is so perfect for its atmosphere and tension, and the animations and art design is pure eye candy!”
    • “The cacophonous sound effects and lack of light build an unsettling atmosphere, as does the absence of music.”
    • “There's barely any music or moody background noise in general; stages are extremely short and they try to fix it with slightly confusing design.”
    • “The music, or rather lack thereof, severely hampers the game.”
  • grinding33 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating, with many describing the gameplay loop as artificially prolonged by unchallenging enemy encounters and repetitive tasks. While some puzzles are praised for their uniqueness, they frequently become monotonous, particularly in the DLCs, leading to a sense of boredom rather than engagement. The consensus suggests that the game could benefit from a more streamlined experience to reduce the feeling of grinding.

    • “The whole gameplay loop feels like a tedious walking simulator which is artificially prolonged by 'enemy' encounters posing no real threat other than slowing the game down considerably.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It's annoying and increasingly tedious since in later parts of the game, you'll have to sneak by the same patrolling enemies several times.”
  • replayability24 mentions

    Overall, the game exhibits limited replayability, with many players noting that once completed, there isn't much incentive to return. While some elements, like hidden secrets and achievements, offer a slight boost to replay value, the short playtime and surface-level content leave many feeling that the game lacks depth for multiple playthroughs. Consequently, it may appeal more to completionists than to those seeking a game with high replay potential.

    • “The secrets you can discover give it some good replay value as well.”
    • “It has replayability due to the secret dream diary pages being difficult to locate, but I would have loved a bit more in-depth lore and story.”
    • “Completionists will appreciate searching for a hidden dream journal in each level (with corresponding achievements) to increase the challenge and replayability.”
    • “And because of the nature of the game, it does lack replayability.”
    • “Although this has absolutely no replay value, the horror elements are quite delicious and do a good job of setting the player ill at ease.”
    • “I beat it in a little over two hours and I fear that the game will have little to no replay value.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game "Darq" is characterized by a mix of tension and creativity, with players highlighting a memorable maze puzzle and a heart-wrenching narrative. While some felt the game lacked a strong emotional climax, others appreciated its artistic style and the potential for deeper emotional engagement in future installments. Overall, the game evokes a range of feelings, from creepiness to a poignant story, leaving a lasting impression on players.

    • “Wow, brilliant artistic emotional witty game, highly recommended.”
    • “Gave off mild Silent Hill creepy vibes, Tim Burton-esque, Half-Life-ish... but with an emotional crescendo ending that really blew me away.”
    • “Darq combines art, a touching story, and fluid puzzle/hiding gameplay.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report excellent performance even on older hardware, others experience significant issues, including game-breaking bugs that require level restarts. Overall, the game's graphics and audio are praised, but there are concerns about clunky controls and inconsistent performance across different machines.

    • “The graphics and audio are top-notch; the game is optimized and runs well on my old potato computer.”
    • “I didn't encounter any glitches or performance issues while I played.”
    • “Performance was great at 4K and max settings, but I'm on a 2080 Ti, so that probably doesn't tell you much.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized and doesn't run well on all machines, which actually leads to a game-breaking bug where you have to restart your whole level, losing all of your progress on the current level.”
    • “Quite often, indie developers neglect optimization.”
    • “I find the controls to be a bit clunky, but it could be because I am currently running off a Surface and the performance is limited.”
  • stability9 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with many players reporting no significant bugs or glitches that hinder gameplay. However, some users have encountered occasional issues, particularly on lower-end systems, such as character glitches and specific puzzles that may require adjustments to graphics settings. Despite these isolated incidents, the majority of players found the game to be stable and enjoyable.

    • “Other than that, no bugs, no glitches (not every graphical ones), nothing that would hinder my experience in any way.”
    • “I admit I cheated twice to get through two levels because I am impatient, but I recommend not making the same mistake I made and pushing through (the game isn't buggy).”
    • “Buggy crap, the character is stuck at the end of the first wall walk, not playable.”
    • “Beware of a few glitches (including the magnet puzzle that cannot be solved without lowering your graphics settings) if you are running this on a lower-end system.”
    • “The very first level, after entering the dream world, I can wall walk, all the way to the edge, and then he glitches.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark comedy and creative, funny puzzles, often enhanced by amusing bugs that add to the experience without disrupting gameplay. While some players find the DLCs lacking in humor and tedious, the core game offers a uniquely designed environment that can evoke laughter, especially in multiplayer scenarios. Overall, the humor is appreciated for its quirky and twisted elements, making it a fun experience for many.

    • “Short, very fun to play, dark humor all around.”
    • “Creative and funny puzzles in a stunning setting!”
    • “There was only one I saw on my first playthrough that jumped at me, but I actually found it funny because of the way it slowly crept toward the camera until it got close enough.”
    • “The DLCs are just boring, only more tedious and the maps are not funny to explore.”
    • “The humor in the game falls flat and feels forced, making it hard to enjoy.”
    • “I expected more laughs, but the jokes are stale and unoriginal.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while the game features impressive visuals and inventive character designs, it lacks substantial character development and narrative depth. The main character is described as somewhat generic, and although the unsettling atmosphere is praised, it does not compensate for the absence of a compelling story or character growth.

    • “The character design, the level design, the graphics, the central conceit of being able to twist perspective and alter the plane of approach, the music, the sound effects, it's all just so good.”
    • “Having said that, it manages to be fresh, original, very inventive and hauntingly nightmarish, with interesting puzzles and very imaginative character designs.”
    • “Spooky visuals with no character development or story to justify any of it.”
    • “The main character design is a bit generic.”
    • “Very reminiscent of Little Nightmares, although the character design in this is a little weaker.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is viewed positively, as players feel that despite its short length, it does not exploit them for money and is not considered a cash grab.

    • “The monetization system feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, which ruins the overall experience.”
    • “While the game is fun, the constant prompts to purchase in-game currency are frustrating and detract from the gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

71% average critic score

Buy Darq

Play time

3hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
2-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 31 analyzed playthroughs

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