When the Darkness comes

About

"When the Darkness Comes" is a symbolic and introspective walking simulator that explores themes of fear, loneliness, and despair. Players navigate a stark world filled with philosophical musings, as they ponder questions about meaning, determination, and humanity. The game, inspired by the developer's personal struggles, aims to express complex emotions and provides an experience that is both thought-provoking and deeply personal, taking around 45 minutes to an hour to complete. However, its heavy themes and abstract nature may not appeal to all players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,761 reviews

story171 positive mentions

grinding28 negative mentions

Incredibly meaningful experience that resonates deeply with themes of depression and anxiety.
Beautiful visuals and sound design that enhance the emotional impact of the game.
Unique gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs to fully appreciate the story and its messages.

Gameplay can be frustrating, particularly during platforming sections that are difficult to navigate.
The game may trigger negative emotions for those currently struggling with mental health issues, as warned by the developer.
Some players found the narrator's voice annoying and the pacing slow, which detracted from the overall experience.

story
409 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
53%
5%
The story of "When the Darkness Comes" is a deeply personal and immersive exploration of themes such as anxiety, depression, and existential dread, often conveyed through surreal and atmospheric storytelling. Players are encouraged to engage with the narrative across multiple playthroughs to fully grasp its depth and meaning, as the game emphasizes emotional reflection rather than a conventional plot. While the visuals and gameplay mechanics may be basic, the powerful message and unique narrative style resonate strongly with many players, making it a thought-provoking experience.
- “While moving through the story, you have a conversation with the creator and together take a trip in his point of view.”
- “This game is powerful; it was an experience that made me at first not know what I was getting into, but in the end, it left me speechless and near to tears just from the first story arc.”
- “I get that this is experimental and extremely personal to the creator, but the gameplay is frustrating (and not the good gamey frustrating), the scenarios and 'story' are completely disconnected and vague.”
- “The story in 'when the darkness comes' is more of a guided exploration of the player’s psyche than a conventional plot.”
- “The world and most mechanics were fine but the story which is all this game really has was pretty bad.”
graphics
265 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
51%
4%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the minimalist and artistic style that effectively conveys the game's themes of mental health and emotional struggle. While some found the visuals stunning and immersive, others criticized the game's performance issues and high GPU demands, leading to lag and low frame rates even on lower settings. Overall, the graphics are seen as a significant aspect of the game's emotional impact, despite some technical shortcomings.
- “For such a simple game, I really appreciated the detail that went into its direction and art style.”
- “The game uses minimalist visuals, ambient sound design, and an unconventional narrative structure to evoke a sense of unease that resonates with anyone who has grappled with mental health challenges.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the game made me feel something.”
- “The graphics were washed out, level designs felt pointless and empty, and the lack of any detail into the creator's background made the payoff completely underwhelming.”
- “Gotta love when the absolute lowest graphics setting labeled 'fastest' still chugs at 12 frames a second, thus making any platforming level impossible.”
- “The game has a few issues mostly due to the optimization as even for a visually simple game it can run poorly, and I recommend that you lower your graphics settings below what you think you can run.”
emotional
226 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "When the Darkness Comes" is profoundly impactful, with many players reporting intense feelings ranging from sadness to catharsis, often resulting in tears. The game tackles sensitive themes such as mental health, anxiety, and depression, creating a deeply personal experience that resonates long after gameplay. While some found it emotionally draining, others appreciated its ability to evoke genuine reflection and connection, making it a memorable and meaningful journey.
- “To the devs, not many games have made me feel actual emotion and shed a tear, but this has.”
- “It’s not a game meant for escapism or easy enjoyment, but rather a powerful, emotional experience that resonates long after the screen fades to black.”
- “When the darkness comes is a very serious and emotional game.”
gameplay
198 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
58%
8%
The gameplay of "When the Darkness Comes" is characterized by its minimalist design and disorienting mechanics, often described as a walking simulator with simple interactions and a focus on narrative rather than traditional gameplay elements. While some players appreciate its psychological depth and unique atmosphere, many criticize the gameplay for being tedious, frustrating, and lacking engagement, particularly during platforming sections. Overall, the game offers a mixed experience, with some finding it a profound exploration of mental health themes, while others feel the gameplay detracts from its potential impact.
- “Unlike traditional horror games, 'When the Darkness Comes' doesn’t rely on jump scares or combat mechanics but instead delivers a psychological journey that pulls players into a deeply unsettling, introspective experience.”
- “Gameplay in 'When the Darkness Comes' is simple and deliberately disorienting, using first-person movement and basic interaction mechanics.”
- “Overall, 'When the Darkness Comes' is a unique, boundary-pushing exploration of psychological horror that uses minimalist design, disorienting mechanics, and deeply personal themes to create a haunting experience.”
- “The game creates an oppressive environment of sounds, visuals, and disorienting mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is really bad; the story is okay-ish, but the major problem is that the creator cares a lot about breaking the 4th wall and really forgot about the player experience.”
- “The actual gameplay is tedious and consists of walking forward and watching predictable jump scares.”
atmosphere
153 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
40%
2%
The atmosphere of "when the darkness comes" is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, effectively conveying themes of anxiety, depression, and existential dread through surreal storytelling and striking visuals. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a range of emotions, from unease to introspection, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and clever environmental design. While some found the reliance on jump scares unnecessary, the overall consensus is that the game's atmospheric depth and emotional resonance make it a compelling experience.
- “The game's use of darkness, confined spaces, and shadowy figures adds to the atmosphere, while distorted visuals and sudden shifts in the environment keep players on edge.”
- “The atmosphere is brilliant and it really makes you feel something.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic; the gameplay is great although easy, being kind of a walking simulator.”
- “This shift creates a disturbing, almost oppressive atmosphere, where players are forced to confront the narrator’s psychological probing.”
- “While the story is vague and left up to the player's interpretation, the game has an incredibly dark atmosphere and doesn't rely on just jump scares to make the player nervous or scared.”
- “I started up the game expecting the dark, miserable atmosphere of the first playthrough, and instead I got an uplifting, hopeful message that was exactly what I needed to hear to accept what happened and move on.”
music
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
47%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and effectiveness, with a haunting piano soundtrack that enhances the atmospheric experience and evokes deep emotions. While some players noted a reliance on ambient sounds and minimalistic compositions, many found the music integral to the game's themes of mental health and emotional depth. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive and reflective qualities.
- “The soundtrack is minimal but effective, relying on ambient noise, unsettling whispers, and subtle shifts in pitch to create an ominous auditory landscape.”
- “The game’s atmospheric design, combined with its haunting soundtrack, creates an immersive experience that stays with you long after you’ve finished playing.”
- “The music, voice-over, and visuals create a powerful experience.”
- “The first horror will jump strike you right here in the menu; you can't turn off that horrible piano music...”
- “There's also almost little to no soundtrack in this game aside from one piano song, which is a huge missed opportunity.”
- “The game continuously tries to jumpscare you until you get numb to the high-pitched sounds and music.”
humor
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
1%
2%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of light-heartedness and dark themes, effectively balancing comedic elements with serious topics like depression and anxiety. Many players appreciated the witty narration and unexpected comedic moments, particularly in the early stages, while others found the humor to be hit-or-miss, with some jokes feeling forced or falling flat. Overall, the game is recognized for its unique ability to evoke laughter while addressing profound emotional issues, making it a memorable experience for those who resonate with its style.
- “Absolutely wonderful, made me scared, made me laugh, made me cry.”
- “I think this game is a perfect example of using humor and consequences to teach about a very serious and underrepresented topic.”
- “The narrator is also quite funny and interactive with you (the player), which in my mind is always a perfect touch to a game like this.”
- “The host, let's call him, is not funny, breaking the fourth wall as if he's Deadpool.”
- “Not funny.”
grinding
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
12%
82%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding the gameplay tedious and repetitive, particularly during certain sections like platforming and puzzle-solving. While some appreciate the thematic depth related to anxiety and depression, others feel that the grind detracts from the overall experience, leading to frustration and a sense of monotony. Despite its artistic intentions, the game's tedious nature may not resonate well with all players, making it a polarizing experience.
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “A bit grindy.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The actual gameplay is tedious.”
- “Everything just seemed tedious, especially the clock part.”
replayability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many players enjoying the multiple endings, hidden secrets, and engaging narrative that encourage revisiting the experience. While some reviews note limitations in replay value, the general consensus highlights that the game's unique delivery and humor contribute to its appeal for repeated playthroughs. Players appreciate the blend of fun and depth, making it a worthwhile investment of time.
- “This was so much fun, so much replay value, and really scratches that itch for similar games to The Stanley Parable, Beginner's Guide, and The Cursed Emerald games.”
- “Another thing I'll credit this game for is its replay value; yes, there are multiple endings and so far I've only gotten one of them.”
- “This is a great game and I recommend playing it (and even better, replaying it, as it has a very high replay value).”
- “The game has limited replay value to a point, but there are deliberate limits on that, which I won’t go into here due to spoilers.”
- “Overall, a 9/10 from me; the only thing that keeps it from a full 10 is lack of replayability, as seeking out hidden achievements in a game such as this doesn't seem very appealing.”
- “I appreciate the amount of easter eggs and hidden secrets in the game, as well as the quasi-replayability in the second playthrough.”
optimization
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
44%
32%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance and high resource demands even on capable hardware, such as the RTX 2070 and GTX 1060. While some appreciate the unique gameplay and emotional depth, the frequent frame rate drops and heavy CPU usage detract from the overall experience, suggesting that better optimization is needed to enhance playability. Overall, players recommend lowering graphics settings to achieve a more stable performance.
- “For a beta game that's also free, it's a total masterpiece that's well optimized and covers the perspective of depression in a very straightforward way (hence the warning it gives you).”
- “Great game, could work on the optimization but overall it's great and is really cool and fun.”
- “I was willing to forgive the technical limitations in exchange for the messages that were able to be broadcast with what limited tools Unity has available, but this is just a completely ridiculous GPU bloat causing major performance issues.”
- “There is some very poor optimization in this game, causing it to play terribly in some areas.”
- “The game has a few issues mostly due to the optimization, as even for a visually simple game it can run poorly, and I recommend that you lower your graphics settings below what you think you can run.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing glitches and lag that they interpret as intentional design choices reflecting themes of mental illness. However, others report technical issues, such as problems with Discord after gameplay, indicating that stability may be a concern for some users. Overall, while the game is praised for its artistic message, its stability is marred by noticeable flaws.
- “Dead, and I'm currently having a problem on Discord after playing the game. Every time I join a voice channel, my Discord freezes, and this has only happened when I finished the game, to be precise after finishing all the endings.”
- “So this game has a lot of flaws, and not just the intended glitches you see throughout the story.”
- “I thought the lag and glitches were game features; what an interesting way to represent mental illnesses, I said to myself.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the reviews, but players emphasize that the experience is deeply immersive and anxiety-inducing, suggesting that the game's value lies in its psychological impact rather than any financial model. Overall, the focus remains on the game's ability to evoke fear and tension, rather than its monetization strategy.
- “The monetization system is overly aggressive, making it feel like the game is more focused on extracting money than providing a good experience.”
- “I feel like I'm constantly being pushed to spend money, which ruins the immersion and enjoyment of the game.”
- “The in-game purchases are way too expensive for what they offer, and it feels like a cash grab rather than a fair monetization model.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is highlighted as exceptional, with well-crafted dialogue that enhances the overall narrative and keeps players engaged.
- “The dialogue and character development are exceptional, contributing to a captivating narrative.”
- “The depth of each character's backstory adds layers to the gameplay, making every decision feel impactful.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, reflecting their experiences and choices in a meaningful way.”