Darkwood

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 165 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 127 out of 165
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 165
  3. Negative: 13 out of 165

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  1. vaurne
    Dec 24, 2020
    7
    This game does NOT hold your hand, and it will scare the living HELL out of you, even though it is just a simple 2D game. Very easily the best 2D horror game out there, even comparing it to Lone Survivor or any other classic horror indies.

    You will be pulled in. It is mysterious, creepy, and leaves you wanting to know more. The atmosphere couldn't be done better, and the controls are    This game does NOT hold your hand, and it will scare the living HELL out of you, even though it is just a simple 2D game. Very easily the best 2D horror game out there, even comparing it to Lone Survivor or any other classic horror indies.

    You will be pulled in. It is mysterious, creepy, and leaves you wanting to know more. The atmosphere couldn't be done better, and the controls are next to perfect. Even though it might stop being scary once you get the hang of the game and go out exploring quite a lot, it will still be unsettling. Every time you put on your headphones and start this game, you will be IN it, completely absorbed by it's aesthetics and design (sound, level, character...)

    But it is quite complicated, and difficult to say the least. You will die and get frustrated, and you will, most likely, not know what you're doing, even after a few hours of the game. If you like an intuitive video game that explains itself quite well, this probably isn't for you. But you can still play it and have lots of fun if you have a friend that can guide you along the way, or try a bit harder than you usually do, and get there yourself!

    Main negative aspect of this game for me is that when you do get the hang of it, it goes from being very complex, to quite easy. You start realizing most of the mechanics are trivial or not as meaningful as you thought. And as much as it has a lot going for it, it doesn't keep on giving you more and more; it just gives you what it has, and that's it.    … Expand
  2. Pusichka
    Oct 28, 2020
    10
    WHEN ALL GAMES WILL HAVE THE PLOT OF THE SAME LEVEL, I WILL UNDERSTAND THAT DIED AND I AM IN THE EMBROIDERY OF OWN ILLUSIONS. EXTREMELY Pity THAT I LEARNED ABOUT THIS GAME BY ACCIDENT, AND ALL GARBAGE FROM LARGE COMPANIES WITH LOOTBOXES, GRIND, MICROTRANSACTIONS FOR SIGHT EVERY DAY. WORLD IS NOT FAIR. POLAND IS REALLY ABLE TO MAKE GAMES. FALAUT 3 OR 4 SHOULD BE LIKE THIS GAME. DARK ANDWHEN ALL GAMES WILL HAVE THE PLOT OF THE SAME LEVEL, I WILL UNDERSTAND THAT DIED AND I AM IN THE EMBROIDERY OF OWN ILLUSIONS. EXTREMELY Pity THAT I LEARNED ABOUT THIS GAME BY ACCIDENT, AND ALL GARBAGE FROM LARGE COMPANIES WITH LOOTBOXES, GRIND, MICROTRANSACTIONS FOR SIGHT EVERY DAY. WORLD IS NOT FAIR. POLAND IS REALLY ABLE TO MAKE GAMES. FALAUT 3 OR 4 SHOULD BE LIKE THIS GAME. DARK AND EXCITING. INCREDIBLE. BUT THE FALOUT GAME SERIES BECAME A SIMPLE CHILDREN'S GAME. IT'S A PITY

    КОГДА ВСЕ ИГРЫ БУДУТ ИМЕТЬ СЮЖЕТ ТАКОГО ЖЕ УРОВНЯ Я В КАКОЙ-ТО МОМЕНТ ПОЙМУ ЧТО УМЕР И НАХОЖУСЬ В ОБЪЯТИЯХ СОБСТВЕННЫХ ИЛЛЮЗИЙ. КРАЙНЕ ЖАЛЬ ЧТО Я УЗНАЛ ОБ ЭТОЙ ИГРЕ СЛУЧАЙНО, А ВСЯКИЙ МУСОР ОТ КРУПНЫХ КОМПАНИЙ С ЛУТБОКСАМИ, ГРИНДОМ, МИКРОТРАНЗАКЦИЯМИ НА ВИДУ КАЖДЫЙ ДЕНЬ. МИР НЕ СПРАВЕДЛИВ. В ПОЛЬШЕ РЕАЛЬНО УМЕЮТ ДЕЛАТЬ ИГРЫ. ФАЛАУТ 3 ИЛИ 4 ДОЛЖНЫ БЫЛИ СТАТЬ ПОХОЖИМИ НА ЭТУ ИГРУ. МРАЧНЫМИ И ЗАХВАТЫВАЮЩИМИ. НЕВЕРОЯТНЫМИ. НО СЕРИЯ ИГР ФАЛАУТ СТАЛА ПРОСТОЙ ДЕТСКОЙ ИГРОЙ. ЖАЛЬ    … Expand
  3. Dragoduval
    Jan 23, 2023
    5
    I wont lie, i like this game and the ambiance, but at the same time it never clicked with me enough that i could beat it.

    I really need to give it a second chance one day.
  4. BlakeArius
    Jan 11, 2015
    9
    Great atmosphere, probably the creepiest 2D I've ever played, And just the right amount of pixel resolution to give both a detailed but 16-bit feel.
    The game is hard and doesn't hold your hand, you will get lost and die. But the controls work well for top-down view its just a matter of finding weapons before night hits you.
    Its currently in alpha but still plenty of game-play to be had    Great atmosphere, probably the creepiest 2D I've ever played, And just the right amount of pixel resolution to give both a detailed but 16-bit feel.
    The game is hard and doesn't hold your hand, you will get lost and die. But the controls work well for top-down view its just a matter of finding weapons before night hits you.
    Its currently in alpha but still plenty of game-play to be had at this point. Give it a go if your a fan of DAYZ, amnesia or generally hard indie games like binding of Issac.    … Expand
  5. Crowborn
    May 10, 2017
    10
    The game was good when it came out in 2014, and since then it got massively better. The storyline has expanded immensely and many problems of yore have been dealt with accordingly. It's still getting updates, but it would already be probably the best 2D horror game out there if it was finished as it currently is.
  6. Hollika
    Apr 25, 2015
    8
    The game is still under development and things may change.
    It's a 2D horror game with some interesting story. I don't want to spoiler much, but basically you're in a forest where a plague spread and turning people into monsters, and you have to get out. The map is randomly generated, but you'll always find the same locations around. You have to survive the days and nights through all    The game is still under development and things may change.
    It's a 2D horror game with some interesting story. I don't want to spoiler much, but basically you're in a forest where a plague spread and turning people into monsters, and you have to get out. The map is randomly generated, but you'll always find the same locations around. You have to survive the days and nights through all means to solve the mystery and to get out of the woods. There are a few "quests" you can do to get some equipments or just to progress in the story, but not many. I found the game pretty scary especially at nights since you just see nothing without a light source, but the lights would just give you away so you have to rely on your hearings. The game can be really hard if you're not careful and prepared for the nights. This game is already interesting in it's alpha release, and it'll be just better when it's finished.    … Expand
  7. petillo
    Sep 6, 2017
    10
    I'm actually amazed, that there are so few ratings. I got the game through their Piratebay Torrent, which in itself is so commend worthy, read their ReadMe in it. I will however buy it on Steam aswell, because i think creative people deserve to be supported, otherwise we will all be force-fed tripple A crap all our lives.

    This game is simple, yet very very intense. You might think you    I'm actually amazed, that there are so few ratings. I got the game through their Piratebay Torrent, which in itself is so commend worthy, read their ReadMe in it. I will however buy it on Steam aswell, because i think creative people deserve to be supported, otherwise we will all be force-fed tripple A crap all our lives.

    This game is simple, yet very very intense. You might think you can't get scared because it's top down, or a graphical style which you can't get familiar with. HOWEVER, playing it with one life only, is super intense. If you like psychological horror, don't even think about it, just do yourself a favour and play it.

    And just in case any of the devs read this review: You guys are amazing and i look forward to see what else you are developing next!    … Expand
  8. Serij
    Nov 3, 2017
    9
    Darkwood is a game that questions yourself why are you actually playing this. If you really look into some horror then it deserves it. Because the nights are really stressfull.I mean really..... what is a video game about? Because this game is not fun. The days are a collecting grindfest, but the nights....the nights are just pure stress man.
  9. EerieDemonble
    Dec 18, 2017
    9
    Amazing survival-horror game. Hard and drowning in dark surreal atmosphere. I was surprised how 2D top-down game can be scary. But developers managed to do that. I hope they will make part 2 and part 3. Horror genre need more good games.
    P.S. - - R.i.p. Dead Space - -
  10. Jackermy
    Aug 1, 2020
    9
    This game is one of the best indie games that I have ever seen and moreover one of the best horror games. The atmosphere is awesome, locations are great, characters are unique and a little bit special).
    Game will never let you bored. Lore is perfect and you will be trying to find more and more about this.
    I highly recommend you to play in this game.
  11. Pentakill
    Sep 13, 2020
    9
    The horror depicted in this game is on another level. The sound design is so terrifying, plus the fact that if you are running from something, thanks to the really interesting camera perspective, you CAN'T see what's chasing you. I had to stop playing a couple of times to 'reset' my anxiety levels.
  12. suneater
    Dec 22, 2018
    5
    I really, really wanted to like Darkwood. One of my favorite reviewers was in love with this and I decided to play it for my spooky Halloween game this year. Unfortunately the core gameplay loop became repetitive and I lost all interest in actually finishing it. This is already a niche game (survival horror that effectively manages both survival and horror elements), so it definitelyI really, really wanted to like Darkwood. One of my favorite reviewers was in love with this and I decided to play it for my spooky Halloween game this year. Unfortunately the core gameplay loop became repetitive and I lost all interest in actually finishing it. This is already a niche game (survival horror that effectively manages both survival and horror elements), so it definitely "isn't for everyone" but even for fans of the genre I can't recommend it.

    While the game tries to hide it and mixes things up with special events, the core gameplay loop consists of: shopping/repairing your current hideout, scavenging & exploring new areas for about 10 hours of game time (one second IRL is one minute in-game), final preparations to defend yourself at night, and then finding something to do on your phone during the 9 hours of night time. The biggest problem with this game is how night is just a huge waste of time. Environments become dark at 18:00 and after 20:00 the darkness will actually start damaging you outside of your chosen hideout. There are unique events that happen at night but most of them are just psychological horror SFX, like creepy ambient noises and lighting changes. This is all without considering the monster attacks at night; You will need to huddle in a corner behind a wall of defenses in order to protect yourself at night because of how poor your vision is. When I quit the game a few days into Chapter 2, my defenses didn't even matter because there was a new enemy who could just spawn inside of my hiding room. While night time advances at double speed of day time, it's still a huge waste of your time. Lights on at 20:00, sunrise at 7:00, and a one hour time skip (sleep I guess?) will start the new day at 8:00. You need to start returning to your hideout at at least 18:00 so this means literally half your day is wasted by the night.

    Enemies become predictable and very frustrating to fight with the clunky combat system. They like to pretend to wander at night, triggering traps and opening random doors, but they always psychically know where you are despite you making no noise. During the day time the simplistic AI likes to rush straight at you and many track you if you sidestep. Aiming a gun causes a cone to be drawn, drastically reducing your FOV. This means when an enemy lunges at you and lands behind you while aiming, they'll be invisible to you until you swing around. New enemies will spawn in explored areas but the loot they drop is almost always just EXP food. Ammo scarcity means that you'll be relying on traders all game to keep more than one weapon loaded. Enemies in Chapter 2 are practically mini-bosses with their unique movesets, fast attacks, and quick movement. Combat eventually became so frustrating that I was annoyed by running into anything.

    I hate to review games without finishing them but I am done with Darkwood. I loved the game during the first and second hideout and enjoyed the atmosphere and difficulty changes in the third hideout's area. Unfortunately, Chapter 2 became really miserable for me and I have no motivation to finish the game. I definitely understand how someone could love this game but I don't have the patience to finish a game that I feel actively wastes my time. Your mileage may vary; This a game that "isn't for everyone" within a genre that "isn't for everyone".    … Expand
  13. jstreeter
    May 3, 2020
    10
    Darkwood is a depressing and harsh fever dream, filled with despair and terror.

    This game has perfected atmosphere, storytelling, and sound design, and it all comes together to create an unforgettable experience.

    Without a doubt, it one of the best horror games of the decade.
  14. rocketpony
    Oct 17, 2020
    4
    I don't know if this game is horror, but it's not even a little scary. At its core, it's just a survival crafting game with some really annoying mechanics designed to pad out play time. (Clunky controls, steep learning curve in combat, tiny inventory, long walks from re-spawn point to find your corpse, mandatory "base defence" sections at night that feel like a chore.) I've played for 5I don't know if this game is horror, but it's not even a little scary. At its core, it's just a survival crafting game with some really annoying mechanics designed to pad out play time. (Clunky controls, steep learning curve in combat, tiny inventory, long walks from re-spawn point to find your corpse, mandatory "base defence" sections at night that feel like a chore.) I've played for 5 hours and the story is nowhere to be seen (except for a couple of small suggestive bits in the prologue). You're just trying to survive as some spooky stuff is happening around you, but there is no context for any of it and no reason to get invested in the hero.

    In short, this is not so much survival horror as survival chore. Something to play if you want to recreate the experience of washing your dishes with a toothbrush and no running water, all without getting off your chair.    … Expand
  15. gabrielmuniz
    Oct 8, 2017
    9
    Darkwood, a mysterious game with a tense atmosphere, it's not made to be totally fun but is made to be immersive, and that is the strongest point of this game, the game have scary enemies being a impressive survival horror with no jump scares, even the game being really long i think that a permanent death would fits really well on this game, they could increase 1 bar of life to apply thisDarkwood, a mysterious game with a tense atmosphere, it's not made to be totally fun but is made to be immersive, and that is the strongest point of this game, the game have scary enemies being a impressive survival horror with no jump scares, even the game being really long i think that a permanent death would fits really well on this game, they could increase 1 bar of life to apply this and leave the game balanced.… Expand
  16. IIIAHMIII
    Dec 25, 2019
    5
    Controls are laggy on ps4. Like a serieus 1 sec input this will make the fighting hard. Its not a good game its slow and the story well its not bad not good. Dont spend to much money on this one.
  17. DiegoTan
    Sep 28, 2021
    1
    This game is like an extremely small shard of a precious stone burried within a giant pool of feces. Do you really wish to dive into it just to look for that small shard?

    It took me around 40 hours of tedious, boring, uninspired gameplay.. to not even finish it and get glitched out at the end of chapter 2. It took around 6 hours of frustration and boredom for each small cool moment in    This game is like an extremely small shard of a precious stone burried within a giant pool of feces. Do you really wish to dive into it just to look for that small shard?

    It took me around 40 hours of tedious, boring, uninspired gameplay.. to not even finish it and get glitched out at the end of chapter 2. It took around 6 hours of frustration and boredom for each small cool moment in the game (each lasting around a minute or two). Rarely I feel like I completely wasted my time with a game, and this is one of these moments. I am quite unhappy with the experience.    … Expand
  18. Grahl1
    Nov 16, 2020
    10
    Perfect little game. It left me wanted more, left me wishing that this developer had another 10 games like this. Few games these days are done right. Darkwood could have fallen into banality if it was just another pretty game with a decent story and well-made atmosphere but without a challenge element that actually makes a game feel like a game. Fortunately, it has a very simple, but veryPerfect little game. It left me wanted more, left me wishing that this developer had another 10 games like this. Few games these days are done right. Darkwood could have fallen into banality if it was just another pretty game with a decent story and well-made atmosphere but without a challenge element that actually makes a game feel like a game. Fortunately, it has a very simple, but very effective combat system, and the survival elements add up to the challenge. One of the best games I've ever played, and probably the best indie.… Expand
  19. Hentaiman
    Oct 9, 2020
    0
    The game is bad and the story is all over the place it isnt good by any means everything that happens just seem to happen for the sake of it with no real meaning and the controls are clunky and awful the combat system sucks and no matter what people say its not scary by any means and the atmosphere is ok at best dont waste your time with this stupid game
  20. EdgarMttz
    Jun 22, 2020
    8
    Darkwood es una obra maestra entre los horrores de supervivencia, ofreciendo una jugabilidad excepcional, historia y atmósfera, con giros lo suficientemente inteligentes a la fórmula para dar lugar a resultados originales y variados. Este juego está tan bien hecho que puedo recomendarlo a cualquier jugador que no se siente intimidado por ninguna mano, dificultad desafiante, y mecánicaDarkwood es una obra maestra entre los horrores de supervivencia, ofreciendo una jugabilidad excepcional, historia y atmósfera, con giros lo suficientemente inteligentes a la fórmula para dar lugar a resultados originales y variados. Este juego está tan bien hecho que puedo recomendarlo a cualquier jugador que no se siente intimidado por ninguna mano, dificultad desafiante, y mecánica implacable. Valdrá la pena.… Expand
  21. Sinaliked
    Aug 3, 2020
    10
    cant stop blaming myself for why finding this now !!!
    the moment i saw the gameplay i knew i would fall in love with it. OMG its atmosphere is nice.playing without a headphone but it's still scary i mean the sounds alone can do all the job for making you nervous :) keep up team (^o^)
  22. mtRoom
    Feb 27, 2015
    3
    To be honest, I find the game more boring and annoying than scary. You can barely see where you're going, making it easy to accidentally walk over poisoned mushrooms. And when that happens, you usually end up dying within the next 30 seconds or so. In other words, you start again.
    There's a map but it doesn't show where you are on it, and since the area is just trees and shrubbery    To be honest, I find the game more boring and annoying than scary. You can barely see where you're going, making it easy to accidentally walk over poisoned mushrooms. And when that happens, you usually end up dying within the next 30 seconds or so. In other words, you start again.
    There's a map but it doesn't show where you are on it, and since the area is just trees and shrubbery everywhere that all look the same, it works out to being pretty useless except as a rough guide.
    Let's see... I think my hideout was twenty steps in that direction..? No that's not it. Just some dogs about to kill me. Oh hey I'm dead. Yay. Start again.

    I suppose this is all another attempt to make the game 'scarier', but for me just added to the growing nuisance-list. Not to mention, when you die, you have to go back and fetch your stuff again from the place where you died.

    The developer's need to understand that making a game 'harder' does not automatically make it more scarier or enjoyable. Especially when you increase the difficulty of tedious activities like running around the map trying to find your equipment. If I were involved in a fight that required timing and skills with the keys (melee by the way is out of the question for the main character), then sure that could be a bit more fun, but just making the player run around more often, trying not get killed by dogs or step on mushrooms in the process. Not so much.

    I'm only up to Day 4 or something, so hey, maybe the game will take a surprise turn. Though I can't see that happening. Depending on how desensitised you are to the simple chills of generic survival-horror games, you may get a few jolts. But 'Amnesia: The Dark Descent', this is not.

    Bottomline: It's good for passing the time while you're waiting for your movie to finish downloading.    … Expand
  23. rexrambone
    Aug 18, 2017
    1
    The game is not scary. It is boring and kludgy. It's also not as much hard as tedious, you die over and over until you find a solution. Then you die over and over until you find the next one. No skill involved.
  24. halfs2
    May 30, 2021
    10
    I enjoyed the soundtrack a lot, the atmosphere of the game is very good, it always makes you tense and doesn't teach you anything, as the days go by you learn how to survive the night, how to defend yourself, I'm loving the game and I paid an incredibly low price on the PC version on steam. I'm looking forward to a darkwood 2, maybe with co-op multiplayer?
  25. HazePhase
    Apr 5, 2020
    9
    Great survival game. The story is immersive, environment is obscure and to some degree disgusting. I fell in love with the game's music as well. Don't let the looks fool you, it took me over 20 hours to complete the main story with some side quests still skipped! I genuinely wanted to find out what happens at the end.
  26. kirovairship
    May 11, 2020
    10
    Picked this game up during a steam sale, not knowing anything about it. As a horror & game fan it surprised me and I ended up loving it.
  27. comasauce11
    Jun 13, 2020
    9
    Despite its top down perspective, Darkwood delivers an incredibly horrifying atmosphere with impeccable sound design to boot. Very unique world with fantastic gameplay and pacing.
  28. kezzyhko
    Aug 29, 2020
    8
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
  29. StrohNamiX
    Jul 27, 2020
    9
    Pretty scary 2d horror with amazing atmosphere and intriguing story. I just recently finished resident evil 7 and liked it but I would prefer darkwood anyday. There aren't enough games like this. The atmosphere was so tense. The gameplay is unforgivable and maybe in some aspects a little bit hard. I would still recommend it to any horror fan, especially if you like the silent hill, h.p.Pretty scary 2d horror with amazing atmosphere and intriguing story. I just recently finished resident evil 7 and liked it but I would prefer darkwood anyday. There aren't enough games like this. The atmosphere was so tense. The gameplay is unforgivable and maybe in some aspects a little bit hard. I would still recommend it to any horror fan, especially if you like the silent hill, h.p. lovecraft, junji ito kind of horror.

    Story.: 9/10
    Graphics / Atmosphere / Sound.: 10/10
    Gameplay.: 7/10

    Result.: 9    … Expand
  30. ComediantWell
    Feb 16, 2018
    10
    Пожалуй один из самых красивых, атмосферных и глубоких проектов за последнее время
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Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Best PC Game of 2017
60
#60 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. XGN
    May 28, 2019
    80
    Darkwood is a thrilling survival horror game that delivers a unique experience with its pixel art top-down graphics, great sound design and gameplay in mysterious woods full of danger lurking behind every tree and corner.
    Read full review
  2. GameGrin
    Dec 15, 2017
    85
    Despite some unsatisfying gameplay systems, Darkwood can provide legitimate thrills and scares for the horror fans that miss the vibes of such classics as Silent Hill 2 and Pathologic without ever using a jump scare. Whether it is the uniquely grotesque art style or the ever-challenging design of its difficulty, Acid Wizard Studio has proven it understands what ingredients make up a good horror experience and the randomised elements of the game allow a unique narrative every time you play.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Nov 16, 2017
    75
    Darkwood’s developers have an expert grasp of what terror is, where it lurks and how to frighten the player to make him come back for more. They couldn’t decide whether they’re making a story-driven game or a sandbox, but their effort is still worth recommending to everyone who enjoys good horrors. [11/2017, p.64]
See all critic reviews »