Darkest Dungeon® Thumbnail

Darkest Dungeon® similar games & best alternatives

Darkest Dungeon®

PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Linux • 2016

Related articles

Quick resume

Darkest Dungeon is a challenging gothic roguelike turn-based RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring. Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes against unimaginable horrors, stress, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Can you keep your heroes together when all hope is lost?

Global score

92/100

Genres

Indie, Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Adventure, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Tactical

Similar games

    Pros

    • Deep tactical gameplay
    • Unique stress and affliction mechanics
    • Strong lovecraftian atmosphere
    • Permanent death adds tension
    • Rich character and party customization

    Cons

    • High difficulty and punishing rng
    • Can be grindy and repetitive
    • Limited social interaction
    • Stressful and potentially frustrating
    • Some players find randomness unfair

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Leadership, Survival, Violence, Strategy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Cooperation, Survival. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have control over party composition, equipment, skills, and strategic decisions, but must adapt to RNG and emergent situations."

    • Competence
      4

      "The game demands skillful planning, resource management, and tactical combat; players learn from failures and improve."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on personal progression and survival rather than direct competition or leaderboards."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Many players report long playtimes and repeated attempts despite frequent failures and losses."

    • Cooperation
      2

      "Players manage a team of heroes working together, but social cooperation with other players is minimal."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players customize parties, skills, and equipment loadouts to devise strategies and adapt to challenges."

    • Domination
      -4

      "Interactions emphasize shared team dynamics and survival rather than exerting power over others."

    • Escapism
      4

      "The dark atmosphere and challenging gameplay provide a strong escape from real life stress."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily driven by interest and challenge, not external obligation."

    • Experimenting
      4

      "Players experiment with party compositions, skills, and tactics to overcome difficult encounters."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Randomly generated dungeons and hidden secrets encourage discovery and curiosity."

    • Expression
      2

      "Some customization of heroes and equipment exists, but limited cosmetic personalization."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Strong Lovecraftian horror fantasy setting with supernatural monsters and dark narrative."

    • Fellowship
      -3

      "Primarily a single-player experience with minimal social interaction or community focus."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players develop skills, knowledge, and strategies over time; characters level up and improve."

    • Health
      -4

      "Sedentary gameplay with potential for stress and frustration; no physical activity involved."

    • Idle
      -4

      "Requires continuous attention and strategic focus; not suited for casual or background play."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Limited emotional connection mainly through character stress and afflictions, no close social bonds."

    • Leadership
      3

      "Players lead and manage a team of heroes, making strategic decisions and directing actions."

    • Progression
      4

      "Strong emphasis on leveling heroes, acquiring gear, upgrading town and unlocking content."

    • Relaxation
      -4

      "Gameplay is tense and stressful, with frequent setbacks and pressure on player decision-making."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Atmospheric audio-visual design provides immersive and emotionally intense sensory experience."

    • Status
      -3

      "Achievements exist but social recognition and popularity are not central motivators."

    • Story
      4

      "Strong narrative immersion with Lovecraftian themes, character backstories, and atmospheric storytelling."

    • Strategy
      5

      "Core gameplay revolves around deep tactical combat, resource management, and long-term planning."

    • Thrill
      4

      "High suspense and tension from RNG, permanent death, and unpredictable dungeon encounters."

    • Value
      4

      "Players perceive strong value from gameplay depth, replayability, and content updates."

    • Violence
      3

      "Combat and destruction of monsters is central, with graphic depictions of violence and death."

    • Survival
      5

      "Primary motivation is to survive harsh dungeon conditions, manage resources, and avoid death."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026