Darkest Dungeon

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 846 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 627 out of 846
  2. Mixed: 134 out of 846
  3. Negative: 85 out of 846

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  1. DragonHeart000
    Feb 12, 2020
    10
    Amazing game! Love the stress aspect since it's quite innovative and not something you typically ever think of in a game. The game is also incredibly polished and is very well done.

    I'd highly recommend this game to anyone that is interested in an innovative game, likes Roguelike games, or likes games that make you think about the characters.
  2. Boonah
    Jan 20, 2016
    9
    A dark dungeon crawling compelling masterpiece of a game. The art is great, the narration is INCREDIBLE, the game has a dark atmosphere that grips and pulls you in. The game revolves around stress management and party management, it can be challenging and brutal at times, but boring it is not.

    My only criticism is that the game gets easier with time rather than more difficult. For £20    A dark dungeon crawling compelling masterpiece of a game. The art is great, the narration is INCREDIBLE, the game has a dark atmosphere that grips and pulls you in. The game revolves around stress management and party management, it can be challenging and brutal at times, but boring it is not.

    My only criticism is that the game gets easier with time rather than more difficult. For £20 you can't go wrong.    … Expand
  3. raorian
    Feb 9, 2016
    8
    A very good game with two Major flaws.
    1. You can learn all the tactics needed for the game by the 10th-20th expdedition.
    the game is about 100 expeditions long. The great rouge like elements are halted by the over prolonged length of the game which transforms it into a grindfest. 2. YOU CAN UNLOCK THE ROUGE LIKE ELEMENT OF THE GAME ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED IT. unlike ftl, each    A very good game with two Major flaws.
    1. You can learn all the tactics needed for the game by the 10th-20th expdedition.
    the game is about 100 expeditions long.
    The great rouge like elements are halted by the over prolonged length of the game which transforms it into a grindfest.
    2. YOU CAN UNLOCK THE ROUGE LIKE ELEMENT OF THE GAME ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED IT.
    unlike ftl, each run doesn't feel unique. it's just the same thing.

    This game can be excelent. but it isn't.

    The dev seems to listen to the community though, so if I were you I'd enjoy this potential masterpiece in a few months, dlcs, and patches.    … Expand
  4. KingOfWinter
    Jan 20, 2016
    9
    I'm in a weird situation in that I got in on the game in late early access. Picked it up during the Steam winter sale but haven't played the post-official release. So I've seen what the game basically was in the final stages of early access but haven't tried out the new bug fixes since the last day I played was on the 17th. From what it reads like in the new negative reviews, thereI'm in a weird situation in that I got in on the game in late early access. Picked it up during the Steam winter sale but haven't played the post-official release. So I've seen what the game basically was in the final stages of early access but haven't tried out the new bug fixes since the last day I played was on the 17th. From what it reads like in the new negative reviews, there seems to be a lot of moaning about how the official release didn't bring an overwhelming tidal wave of new content. I suppose that might bother me if Darkest Dungeon were a particularly stripped-down, incomplete-seeming game as you often see in early access.

    It's honestly one of the most complete early access titles I've played so I'm not sure what they were expecting. Some mechanics such as the minimap and movement are a little clunky or unintuitive but they're nothing I haven't seen before and certainly not something I expected to change drastically or at all really. The art style is definitely the main draw as the characters, enemies and backgrounds feel like a graphic novel. It's grim, like early Diablo grim but with more of a renaissance era setting and a lot more Lovecraft (or Lovecraft Lite, might be better) thrown in. The horrors you face will freak your guys out but all the same, they can be beaten. It's just hard. And taxing on your characters' nerves. Yes the game can feel grindy if you're not digging the atmosphere but the number of dungeon crawlers that don't lend themselves towards being grindfests are few and far between. By their very nature, that's what the dungeon crawler is typically about: Some giant foreboding evil threatens the land, your underleveled heroes kill minions to get better gear and improve their skills and stats so as to prepare themselves to face the greater evils. That's the same deal here. Killing minions to acquire resources is what makes it a grind and it's also what makes it fun.

    I won't pretend like this game is universally accessible because the difficulty can be off-putting and like any roguelike, you'll get screwed by the RNG a lot. But it's fair, if unforgiving. If you like games like FTL where you essentially do the same action over and over in a procedurally generated world fighting enemies that outclass you and generally spend a lot of time making the best of a bad situation, you'll enjoy it. If you tire of grinding through hallways and taking a long amount of time to set up your power base and get your characters up to snuff, you'll likely want to look elsewhere. It takes time to get the village upgrades. It takes time to get your heroes competent enough to take on some of the harder dungeons and bosses. And you will lose them at times to an unlucky dice roll. It's how roguelikes go. If that causes you to rage and never play the game again because you couldn't get your perfect 'nobody dies, flawless victory' run, I'm sorry it didn't meet your lofty expectations. If it causes you to rage and swear revenge on the monsters that killed your team by making a BETTER team? You're gonna do just fine around here.

    If price point is the reason you're on the fence like some accusers who feel betrayed because the game didn't double in length after the official release, wait til it's on sale. $20 may be a little high if you're not into dungeon crawlers, gothic horror or roguelikes. But if you can grab it on sale for $10, maybe even $15, it's easily worth that.

    Art style, music and narration are all top notch. Stress mechanic is fun - it complicates character usage, but in a good way. Story's a little light, but gives you enough motivation for what your characters are doing. Enemy variety could use a little sprucing up but damn, it gives you a ton of classes and more may be on the way (at least 1 class is going to be post release, we'll see about adding enemies). Grinding and RNG are what they are, neither good nor bad, just hallmarks of the genre. It's not a perfect game but it's damn good. Give it a whirl    … Expand
  5. Matseb2611
    Jan 22, 2016
    10
    Darkest Dungeon lets you assemble a roster of dungeon adventurers and send them into dungeons in order to defeat pestilent creatures that have plagued the land in order to fully restore a hamlet back to its former glory. The game is not so much a pure dungeon crawler, but more of a dungeon crawl management simulator (for lack of a better word). You do not only navigate the heroes through aDarkest Dungeon lets you assemble a roster of dungeon adventurers and send them into dungeons in order to defeat pestilent creatures that have plagued the land in order to fully restore a hamlet back to its former glory. The game is not so much a pure dungeon crawler, but more of a dungeon crawl management simulator (for lack of a better word). You do not only navigate the heroes through a dungeon. You also take full responsibility for their wellbeing. As heroes go through dungeons, they accumulate stress and could even get diseases, and you have to make sure you bring them back to top shape in between your dungeon runs. You do not just control a single party of heroes. You have to rotate several different heroes around and pick the ones most suitable for the job at hand.

    There are 4 areas where you can take your expedition: Ruins, Warrens, Weald, and Cove, and each one has its own dangers and challenges, what means that you need to prepare your team accordingly. The dungeons also come in different lengths (Short, Medium, and Long) and of different difficulty (Apprentice, Veteran, and Champion). As of the final release, the final dungeon has been added too (have not yet had the bravery to try it out).

    The combat is really fun and in my opinion has a lot of tactical depth to it. It's not just a simple turn-based battle system, but each position within your party setup is important. Some hero classes prefer frontal positions in the squad (like the melee tanks), others prefer to hang back (like healers or ranged attackers).

    The game has been balanced around loads during Early Access, and though some aspects of it might feel unfair still, overall the gameplay feels pretty solid and requires a lot of strategising and adjusting to the situation when bad things start to happen. The game can be pretty punishing towards those who do not take caution. And even if you do everything right, things can still go wrong at times, and part of the gameplay is also having to deal with that. The game encourages tip-top preparation and contingency planning. That means that the game is easily not for everyone, but those who do enjoy that sort of thing will be up for a real treat.

    Art, music, and voice acting are also superb. Easily a cherry on an already delicious cake.

    I would highly recommend this game to anyone who likes a good challenge and doesn't mind it when a game occasionally throws them some curve balls. I can't remember the last time a game has kept me interested for 70 hours and counting.    … Expand
  6. juanval
    Jan 24, 2016
    10
    Excellent game that combines turn based combat RPG with micromanagement of XCOM.

    The graphic aspect is superb. The illustrator has created a great environment. I love the tactical combats in which you must think what attack is the best in each turn according to the resistances of the monsters. There is a big number of enemies and skills. You must play lots of battles in order to    Excellent game that combines turn based combat RPG with micromanagement of XCOM.

    The graphic aspect is superb. The illustrator has created a great environment.

    I love the tactical combats in which you must think what attack is the best in each turn according to the resistances of the monsters. There is a big number of enemies and skills. You must play lots of battles in order to advance, and if you don't want to lose warriors easily, you must think smart and don't hurry to finish the game fast.

    The game has the micromanagement of XCOM. There is a village that is your HQ, where the adventurers improve their skills, and recover from diseases and mental injuries. You can choose from a roster who are the adventurers that are going to the next quest.

    Another gem from kickstarter.    … Expand
  7. Thilus
    Feb 2, 2016
    9
    Easily one of the best rouge-like indie RPGs out there. I've been with this game since the Early Access and I clocked in many, many hours, watching tha game expand. Just after the final version was released I started the game from scratch (even though I had a game saved well after mid-game from early access) and I still can't seem to get away from the screen sometimes. I really can'tEasily one of the best rouge-like indie RPGs out there. I've been with this game since the Early Access and I clocked in many, many hours, watching tha game expand. Just after the final version was released I started the game from scratch (even though I had a game saved well after mid-game from early access) and I still can't seem to get away from the screen sometimes. I really can't understand the complaints about high RNG influence and the statements that luck is way more important than skill. Darkest Dungeon is ALL about skill. It's about creating the best possible combinations of characters and their skills, maximizing their chance of survival in hostile environments. And the game reminds you about it on the opening screen every single time you launch it. Yes, the gameplay feels harsh at times and there might be some frustration going, but at no point does the Darkest Dungeon feel unfair. Your characters will miss sometimes, but so will the enemies! Your heroes will bleed, get sick or even die sometimes, but it doesn't feel like it's because of bad luck. It's because the game is hard with no possibility of switching the difficulty to easy or casual. This is not a game for everyone, just like Demon's Souls or Bloodborne wasn't. Throughout my adventures I lost 3-4 heroes and every time it was because I didn't play it safe enough, when even the game reminds you many times: "Remember that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer". Yeah, learn the hard way.
    So if you're not one to run away in face of adversity or one of those people that would like the game to play itself with constant success and you wish for a bit of a challenge then pick up this game immediately. I guarantee that you won't regret it.    … Expand
  8. platq
    Feb 29, 2016
    2
    kiepska gra w ktorej niema dobrych wyborow sa tylko zle i gorsze niemylic tej gry z grami taktycznymi to czysty surviwal i o wiekszosci decyduje rng
    dotego gra zasypuje masa kometazy do wszystkiego co sie dzieje cigle wyskakujace chmorki itp po czasie nuza
  9. monnef
    Nov 2, 2017
    0
    The game is unplayable on my system (mouse clicks are not registered, only runs on a small section of the screen; I do meet minimal requirements). After contacting their support and waiting over half a year, nothing has changed. The game is still not fixed and their support is not responding.

    Beware of this studio (Red Hook Games/Red Hook Studios). They don't support their paying    The game is unplayable on my system (mouse clicks are not registered, only runs on a small section of the screen; I do meet minimal requirements). After contacting their support and waiting over half a year, nothing has changed. The game is still not fixed and their support is not responding.

    Beware of this studio (Red Hook Games/Red Hook Studios). They don't support their paying customers and I recommend to not support them as well.    … Expand
  10. themechanicalma
    Jan 19, 2017
    0
    Mac crashed while playing this game, restarted computer and found saved game is now gone.

    Might as well, ~20 hours in and the game becomes seriously repetitive where players would explore similar dungeons, fight similar enemies, and make similar tradeoffs. The game mechanics is interesting and the dungeons fun... for a time, but the once the abilities of each class is understood and the    Mac crashed while playing this game, restarted computer and found saved game is now gone.

    Might as well, ~20 hours in and the game becomes seriously repetitive where players would explore similar dungeons, fight similar enemies, and make similar tradeoffs. The game mechanics is interesting and the dungeons fun... for a time, but the once the abilities of each class is understood and the enemies of the dungeons known, then it begins to feel as if the game length is artificially stretched to justify the asking price.

    To devs: if you want to only allow 1 single save for each gameplay, then you better make sure the save file is properly backed up before overwriting to it. ♥♥♥♥ing amateurs.    … Expand
  11. Tomplifier
    Feb 17, 2021
    4
    This game has some nice mechanics and I like the gameplay.
    But it is no game at all, this "game" is work. It's hard work. And not enjoyabel. To me.
  12. Honeybadgers
    Mar 20, 2016
    7
    I started out loving darkest dungeon. It is truly terse, dripping with atmosphere, with gorgeous visuals and exceptional narration. The gameplay is pretty good as well. But the game has, for me, a huge problem. It's just too punishing to play. The progression is slower than vanilla world of Warcraft, and you will spend a lot of time grinding dungeons far more than feels appropriate. II started out loving darkest dungeon. It is truly terse, dripping with atmosphere, with gorgeous visuals and exceptional narration. The gameplay is pretty good as well. But the game has, for me, a huge problem. It's just too punishing to play. The progression is slower than vanilla world of Warcraft, and you will spend a lot of time grinding dungeons far more than feels appropriate. I guess i just didn't enjoy the core gameplay loop enough, but once i got a solid team to level 6 or 7, i took a step back and realized that i haven't been having fun for the last ten hours. Even optimal playing is just not acceptable in the pacing. I feel like the game needs a setting that lets you bring in higher level characters to lower dungeons just to accelerate the grind that is necessary to progress, because i got so insanely tired on hiring four new guys, running a level one, and then firing them all. That system for getting money is demonstrative of a piece of bad design. Overall, very playable and i cab definitely see the appeal. But it just ground me down until i wasn't having fun and by that time i had fifty hours in and was not even half done.… Expand
  13. Tubey
    Mar 26, 2016
    7
    Ludicrously immersive and dripping in atmosphere, but where Darkest Dungeon falls down a few points is the over reliance on completely arbitrary RNG to run the gameplay experience. So much so that you can't really be "good" at this game; you're just either lucky or you're not. There's very little you can do to avoid death - you basically roll a dice, and if it lands on the wrong number,Ludicrously immersive and dripping in atmosphere, but where Darkest Dungeon falls down a few points is the over reliance on completely arbitrary RNG to run the gameplay experience. So much so that you can't really be "good" at this game; you're just either lucky or you're not. There's very little you can do to avoid death - you basically roll a dice, and if it lands on the wrong number, you're dead.

    This makes the end game particularly an absolute nightmare. Yes, it creates dread with every action you make, but for the wrong reasons.

    I'm scoring it higher than it probably deserves in all honesty, but it's because I adore everything about it other than the RNG. Pick it up on sale, but be prepared to abandon it in frustration after a while - but for the hours you'll enjoy it, you'll REALLY enjoy it.    … Expand
  14. psycros
    Feb 17, 2017
    3
    So intriguing, yet so very flawed. DD boils the dungeon crawler down to its absolute essentials, but adds a "stress" mechanic that turns perfectly functional characters into useless drooling nutters. You can salvage them by spending tons of hard-won gold while they sit out dungeon runs recovering..and you MUST go into another dungeon as soon as you complete your last expedition. There'sSo intriguing, yet so very flawed. DD boils the dungeon crawler down to its absolute essentials, but adds a "stress" mechanic that turns perfectly functional characters into useless drooling nutters. You can salvage them by spending tons of hard-won gold while they sit out dungeon runs recovering..and you MUST go into another dungeon as soon as you complete your last expedition. There's no "wait in town" ability - for some reason you're forced to be a masochist throwing yourself into the RNG meatgrinder non-stop. There's also no camping in the dungeon without a firewood item, of which you can carry precisely ONE. No healing between fights except by consuming food..and the game will happily tell you that you're starving 2 seconds after you just ate. Did I mention that some character classes won't join a party if certain other classes are present? But you MUST have a full party to "embark" on your next series of utterly random dice rolls, so you'll probably end up high and dry, unable to progress because you can't a healer or a tank. Grindy, punishing, repetitive and crippled by inexplicable design flaws - not recommended.… Expand
  15. gracjanski
    Feb 4, 2018
    4
    I lost motivation to continue to play because it is so repetitive. Basically you are just fighting. The other elements in this game are just little features: build up your town, manage your heroes. Reminds me of XCOM, but the latter is just much better.
    Fighting is interesting, because a bit complex and the classes sound good, but I get bored, because you dont have any possibilities to    I lost motivation to continue to play because it is so repetitive. Basically you are just fighting. The other elements in this game are just little features: build up your town, manage your heroes. Reminds me of XCOM, but the latter is just much better.
    Fighting is interesting, because a bit complex and the classes sound good, but I get bored, because you dont have any possibilities to change your strategy if you fail, the save file is overwritten all the time. Big design mistake. No, I dont like games for masses and simple games, but I dont want to waste my free time with repeating dungeons, that are almost all the same.
    The dungeons are all the same, just go to the right, no big decisions.
    Story? hmmm.. oh yes, there is one. You can write it in 2 lines. By the way the german translation is bad, although there is not much text to translate.
    The overview in the interface is low: you have to click very often, many elements are too big. Seems like this game was being made for consoles and mobile devices and not for PC.
    Art design is great.
    Many mods are on steam workshop...bad for GOG-Gamer.

    So what shall motivate me to continue to play? The story is not the reason. The gameplay is boring. Building up your heroes? Most of them are dying and you cant do anything about it.

    Surely not a 10/10 game.    … Expand
  16. nilsy
    Apr 3, 2017
    5
    WOW! WOW! but i dont like it...

    This game manages to impress me just i dont like playing it.
    It gives the impression that with a few tweaks this could have been fighting for GOTY but now its just this ambivalent feeling were i want to like the game but just dont.
    Do hope there will be a DD2 that has a better experience for me, would give a sequel a try.
  17. Jerrido
    May 29, 2020
    1
    Drop players on the GOG platform, no DLC, no achievements. Now there is no trust in these developers
  18. Crackfarmer
    Apr 2, 2016
    5
    Played it couple times but then i never got back into it. If you close it one time - you'll never open it up again. It's kinda the same **** over and over again. Wouldn't pay a single cent for it.
  19. sandman1234
    Mar 23, 2016
    7
    On the Pro side:
    This game has an awesome art-style, the voice acting is awesome and it´s quite enjoyable for a while.
    On the Cons side:
    When you reach mid-game I fell like you are grinding all the time, and the game loop is the same all the time
  20. Dash3717
    Jun 25, 2018
    4
    Not worth playing unless you prefer frustration to good game design; enjoyable in many areas but held back too much by obtuse and subpar overall design to be worth recommending.
  21. JimmyJams
    Apr 26, 2018
    4
    I mean it's not much of a "game" more like a series of dice rolls that usually don't work out for you. As someone who plays jRPG games a lot, this game pretty much emphasizes what I hate the most about them: RNG. The game wants you to lose, it wants your characters to die and you to lose any progress you've made. There's no decisions or skill you can use to overcome the RNG because it'sI mean it's not much of a "game" more like a series of dice rolls that usually don't work out for you. As someone who plays jRPG games a lot, this game pretty much emphasizes what I hate the most about them: RNG. The game wants you to lose, it wants your characters to die and you to lose any progress you've made. There's no decisions or skill you can use to overcome the RNG because it's RNG.

    When I first played the game on Darkest (ie normal) difficulty and I'd literally lost 5 heros on level 1 missions. Missions that are literally the first ones you encounter and are the easiest ones available. The same frustration persists at higher levels even after you get a handle on the game. You get this sense that you can't win the game no matter what you do because of the constant debuffs your heros take at random due to traps you can't see, moves you can't avoid or defend against, dice rolls that have mobs dodging half your attacks, critting your heros to near death, etc.

    The game just wastes your time and leaves you empty handed.    … Expand
  22. RagingPoet
    Feb 9, 2018
    7
    Darkest Dungeon is an interesting game but it gets old way too soon. Gameplay is very repetitive, even engrossing atmosphere and superb narration can't help it. First few hours felt really good though.
  23. RazorSamurai
    Mar 15, 2019
    5
    ху...ета для дол.....боебов
    фарми 40 часов и прое....би то что нафармил за один присест
    ладно, вообщем, атмосфера и сеттинг на уровне, музыкальное сопровождение на высшем уровне к этому никак не придраться. но проблема игры заключается в том, то что она заставляет тебя вечно гриндить то голду то фамилияры. здесь есть несколько боссов которые повторяются по 3 раза и некоторые    ху...ета для дол.....боебов
    фарми 40 часов и прое....би то что нафармил за один присест

    ладно, вообщем, атмосфера и сеттинг на уровне, музыкальное сопровождение на высшем уровне к этому никак не придраться. но проблема игры заключается в том, то что она заставляет тебя вечно гриндить то голду то фамилияры.

    здесь есть несколько боссов которые повторяются по 3 раза и некоторые ивентовые и все, я не доходил до темнейшего подземелья и доходить не буду, тратить время впустую не мой конёк.

    и то прикол в том, что я играл с самого начала покупки лицензии с аддонами на ускоренную анимацию ударов и ходьбы, страшно представить, сколько времени я бы потратил играя без них.

    вообщей сумме впустую потраченных 60 часов, спасибо, поел го.вна. но с радостью буду ждать вторую часть из-за нового оста, надеюсь он там будет.
    5.5/10

    UPD.
    16 марта прошел игру, у♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ая концовка которая♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ни♥♥♥♥♥♥ не удовлетворяет вообще. зря потраченное время, да и то эти два последних квеста вообще несложные а фарм сложен. назвал бы игру. farmest farm    … Expand
  24. ExcAverage
    Dec 25, 2018
    6
    Say what you'd like about my skill, but this game is ridiculously punishing. I love the theme and as far as I'm concerned there's no problem the with very core of the game play, however the hours of grinding through the same hallways and enemies that grow dull noticeably quickly, I think there's some major flaws with anything past the core of the game play. There's no real story to digSay what you'd like about my skill, but this game is ridiculously punishing. I love the theme and as far as I'm concerned there's no problem the with very core of the game play, however the hours of grinding through the same hallways and enemies that grow dull noticeably quickly, I think there's some major flaws with anything past the core of the game play. There's no real story to dig for, although if you're looking at buying this I doubt you're in it so much for the story as the game play, and the perma-death mechanic would sound like it would make the game more intense, and I was hopeful that it would be, however it really just ends up padding out the game to crazy lengths for your first run through the game, and afterwards I don't believe this game has much replay value other than playing through on Stygian or Bloodmoon difficulty. If you're really into turn-based RPGs with a bit of strategy, I doubt you'll find this game as annoying as I did, but as it stands there is too much punishment to be reasonable, and it's not always something you can really avoid with skill. Going into a high-level boss and losing a character can set you back hours, and that's piled on top of the time spent with your characters getting quirks and stress removed. Personally, even if I were more into the genre, I'd give this game a pass. Not unplayable, but not very good either. I'd love to see what the devs create in the future.… Expand
  25. zanzou
    Apr 19, 2020
    3
    This isn't an rpg. It's a slot machine with an rpg skin. The grind is akin to gacha game progression because you keep on having to grind countless heros from level 0 repeatedly by design.
  26. F3T1W
    Aug 27, 2021
    4
    A stuffy toy, dropped, unable to bear to lose your favorite fighters after hiking, torches one love
  27. chialeos
    Sep 12, 2021
    0
    this game cured all of my friends longing depression
  28. LadyLuck
    Dec 3, 2021
    10
    the reason the score its not higher on metacritic is because is a niche game, unique . As pointed out by joebomb10 the game its really delight on balancing every aspect of it to deliver immersion and story to a point that enriches everything that the games proposes to do .
    as i do enjoy such balance this game is a must for me, as example the traits of the characters are there not only for    the reason the score its not higher on metacritic is because is a niche game, unique . As pointed out by joebomb10 the game its really delight on balancing every aspect of it to deliver immersion and story to a point that enriches everything that the games proposes to do .
    as i do enjoy such balance this game is a must for me, as example the traits of the characters are there not only for the gameplay but also to bring life to the characters that are facing the horrors with you.

    RNG is a issue? yes and it should be , it makes everything more on edge than anything the game do, will you be luck enough to deliver amazing blows that inspire your allies or will you doom your party with the madness that fills your mind with dread and desperation.
    The learning curve that bother some its by design , if normal mode its too hard try easy to learn the mechanics ,no shame on doing so and will double your fun.
    now i will adress the problem talked about in the other critics , playing the dungeons multiple times its not a problem EITHER , each encounter is different , the maps for them too. you need to press the various levels of it to find the BOSS and when you do it the Hamlet(the central of operations) will be notified gaining mental bonuses .
    the point is to conquer darkness everywhere and believe me there will be plenty for you to fight .
    If Triple AAA games are boring for you , try this. If not try this, because its that good.    … Expand
  29. khangpro1112
    Dec 19, 2021
    10
    Highly Recommended : 10/10
    1. Graphics : GOOD
    2. Gameplay : GOOD
    Definitely worth a try !
  30. Young_Fawn
    Jun 21, 2023
    10
    Nearly Seven Years

    I've been playing Darkest Dungeon for almost seven years and to me it's always been the perfect rogue-like, although I've never had the patience or time to finish it until now. First let me start off by saying that Darkest Dungeon, at least on its default settings, is still an unforgiving game. At the very beginning, as soon as you boot up the game, it tells you    Nearly Seven Years

    I've been playing Darkest Dungeon for almost seven years and to me it's always been the perfect rogue-like, although I've never had the patience or time to finish it until now.

    First let me start off by saying that Darkest Dungeon, at least on its default settings, is still an unforgiving game. At the very beginning, as soon as you boot up the game, it tells you that Darkest Dungeon is all about making the best of a bad situation, and I'm sure anyone who's put any amount of time into the game, can confirm that this is definitely the case.

    Effectively, the game plays as thus; A week passes every mission, there are multiple 'Dungeons' you can go to, each with their own trials and tribulations, enemy types and bosses, you take a party of four that will suit that dungeon and complete the given task. After that task is completed (or failed) party members will level up and you'll earn gold and trinkets, which you use to upgrade your Hamlet (Effectively your base of operations) in order to become stronger to make dungeoning easier and get access to harder quests.

    There are a multitude of heroes/classes to choose from, each of them bringing their own unique abilities and playstyle to the game. You can also rename all of your heroes to anything you want, making the game ideal for those who want to put their friends in the game (This is what I do for all games that I can, such as XCOM or Phoenix Point or Disgaea) or also ideal for Twitch Streamers as you can make your chat feel more involved by naming them after people in there.

    The gameplay loop is very satisfying and I don't ever get bored playing this game, although what I will say is, things -will- go wrong. You will lose that max level hero to something out of your control, yes you can debate that the game is mostly RNG, but think of the game more like D&D as opposed to other turn based RPG's, it's the dice that does decide at the end of the day. However you do have a multitude of ways of mitigating damage and making sure you're getting the most out of your heroes, if you plan ahead well, know when to take a loss as well (tactically) you'll be fine.

    The game is long, there's no doubt about that, you're talking anywhere between 30-50 hours for one proper run at the game, beating the final boss and all.

    Another great aspect about the game is the Hamlet, randomly you'll get Town Events, these can be positive or negative. Things such as... The Tavern is free for the week, or a free weapon upgrade (This can be particularly helpful in the mid-game when money is an issue.) Or negative ones such as a big bad boss is at your doorstep all of a sudden, with no preparation and you -need- to deal with him. It makes the game feel alive, like not everything is always 100% under your control, and this, for me, is what makes the game so exhilarating.

    In truth, I don't really have anything bad to say about the game, I guess I've been done over by RNG a few times but upon reflection, I guess I could've prepared better, but sometimes I did just get crit 3 times in a row and had a hero die, but I also don't see how blaming RNG for losing someone is a bad thing, especially when that's the nature of the game; you expect this going into it. But that's the reality of the game, I'd say it's a feature and not a flaw, you can do all the preparation in the world and be set up perfectly, but as the narrator so aptly puts it, as you think you're doing well. "How quickly the tide turns."

    To me, this is one of the best games ever made, it offers extensive replay-ability and despite its unforgiving nature, it's extremely rewarding, I promise when you pull off something magnificent, or one of your heroes becomes Virtuous, or you beat a boss that was skelping you endlessly, you'll be jumping out of your seat in joy.

    10/10.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Best PC Game of 2015
25
#25 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
26
#26 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 56 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 56
  3. Negative: 0 out of 56
  1. KeenGamer
    Aug 12, 2020
    80
    There is a good reason that Darkest Dungeon won a ton of awards and sold over 2 million copies - in portraying the dark underbelly of fantasy adventuring it touched on subjects rarely addressed in games before it. Its amazing sound, comic-like graphics, and intense, perpetual Ironman difficulty create a title that was addictive to those wanting Lovecraftian horror with a side of near Dark Souls difficulty. If you have never experienced it before, now is a great time to make its acquaintance, to be prepared for the release of Darkest Dungeon 2. And, if you were a previous visitor, make sure you take another look to experience the new DLC that has been added since your departure. Hours of broken peripherals and rage quits await.
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  2. High-Def Digest
    Apr 10, 2016
    90
    Darkest Dungeon is the rare game that gets my heart pumping while playing, not because it’s scary (even though it is a little scary), but because the stakes are so high.
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  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 31, 2016
    88
    Darkest Dungeon is a masterpiece of emergent storytelling. [March 2016]
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