Darkest Dungeon Reviews

Darkest Dungeon is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
10 / 10.0
Sep 28, 2016

Some people will have problems with Darkest Dungeon. It can (at times) be excruciatingly hard, to the point where you might consider quitting due to a frustrating experience. However, if you stick with it you will find an immensely hard, but still fair and rewarding experience unlike anything that has been released before it. All RPG fans and lovers of difficult games should definitely give Darkest Dungeon a look on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita if they haven't already. This game is not for everyone, but those who can handle the difficulty will love this game immensely.

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100%
Jun 24, 2019

An estate in ruins, eldritch horrors, and eagerly suicidal heroes. Darkest Dungeon know its audience, and they’re the best kind of masochists.

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95%
Jan 28, 2018

I was completely enthralled with this game. It makes the most of its assets to create a dynamic RPG with characters whose personalities are changed by the journeys they embark on. The writing is deliciously dark and detailed, and the journal entries embellish this factor of the game perfectly. The art style is very detailed, and while the animations are simple, the camera zooming in dramatically at key moments makes it feel much more epic than it would otherwise. Darkest Dungeon will provide you with as many as 80 hours of gameplay thanks to how it cleverly employs procedurally generated content, permadeath and not forcing you to start the whole game over when your team dies. It is a stressful game and not for the faint of heart, but it features an easier mode for beginners. I found this to be one of the strongest indie games which I have played on my Switch, and it's score will reflect that. I'm giving it a 9.5/10. This game is fantastic and is worth playing for anyone willing to attempt to explore the darkest dungeon.

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9.5 / 10.0
Feb 15, 2018

Darkest Dungeon is just short of being an absolute masterpiece, but is still an amazing game. Red Hook Studios meticulously crafted a memorable experience that is fun to play in short bursts or get lost in for hours.

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9.5 / 10.0
Mar 4, 2018

Darkest Dungeon is characterised by unique style and tough gameplay. It demands deep understanding of game mechanics to succeed, but also allows for slow and methodical gameplay while discovering them on our own. 2D sprite-based graphic is executed perfectly along with simple animations to create an awesome game.

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9.3 / 10.0
Jan 18, 2016

While the game can feel grindy at times and losing a critical team permanently is soul crushing, taking down big bosses, collecting treasure, and restoring the fallen hamlet to glory is challenging and fun

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92 / 100
Mar 3, 2018

The interface and difficulty are intimidating at first but Darkest Dungeon provides a deep foreboding atmosphere complemented by the intense challenge that will test even the most seasoned gamer.

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92 / 100
Jan 29, 2016

A gripping, unforgiving, complex dungeon crawler that translates lovecraftian themes excellently into its world. There are few indies out there that do everything as well as Darkest Dungeon. From art style to gameplay, from sound design and narrator, which is truly exceptional, and the writing Darkest Dungeon oozes quality.

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Dan Stapleton
Top Critic
9.1 / 10.0
Jan 26, 2016

Darkest Dungeon is a grim and merciless tactical strategy game whose great tension comes from its many layers of complexity, unpredictable randomization, and willingness to put our fragile characters in mortal danger if we dare to venture into its depths in search of treasure and glory. Brilliant narration and stiff yet surprisingly expressive animation make it easy to be drawn into its vague but tantalizing world, though the end feels artificially out of reach.

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9.1 / 10.0
Jan 30, 2018

Red Hook Studios' Darkest Dungeon wins on all fronts by offering a challenging and addictive gameplay. Everything is underlined by a great gothic style art direction and soundtrack, original mechanics and fun blend of rogue-like, turn-based and RPG games.

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9 / 10
Feb 9, 2016

A richly satisfying and wonderfully executed masterpiece.

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USgamer
Top Critic
Jan 20, 2016

I can't say enough nice things about Darkest Dungeon. Its presentation is brilliant, its systems are smart and well-constructed, and it does a lot to subvert what we should expect from the average dungeon crawler. For a game built around slowly grinding up multiple parties of adventurers, it's remarkable how fresh it can feel even after more than 50 hours. It's only January, but Darkest Dungeon is already one of my favorite games of the year.

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9 / 10
Jan 22, 2016

Darkest Dungeon takes the staples of roguelikes and adds the atmosphere and themes of Lovecraftian Horror and does so with incredible success. The game captures the feeling of battling an unending wave of nightmarish abominations with little to no chance of hope. But when you do succeed you feel like a million bucks. The difficulty may deter many people from trying this game out, but if you are brave enough you will be rewarded with a rich experience.

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VG247
Top Critic
Jan 20, 2016

I can't say enough nice things about Darkest Dungeon. Its presentation is brilliant, its systems are smart and well-constructed, and it does a lot to subvert what we should expect from the average dungeon crawler. For a game built around slowly grinding up multiple parties of adventurers, it's remarkable how fresh it can feel even after more than 50 hours. It's only January, but Darkest Dungeon is already one of my favorite games of the year.

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Jan 21, 2016

Darkest Dungeon will push even the most hardcore gamers to their breaking points, but those who are brave enough to take it on are in for a dastardly roguelike rivaled by few others.

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9 / 10.0
Feb 9, 2016

Darkest Dungeon is one of the most atmospheric games I've played in a very long time, it nails its core concept and delivers an exceptionally well-crafted and interesting dungeon crawler that will take you hundreds of terrifying hours to see through to its ludicrous ending.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 26, 2016

Hours and hours of content await for players who need a time sink. I'll confess I'm still battling my way through it, though I've sunk many slogging hours into the thing – plenty to have a good rounded view of the experience. There's so much to chew through, and so many tasks to complete, that you'll find yourself more than satisfied if you're a content hound.

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Jan 24, 2016

A Kickstarter campaign from two years ago has led to the long-awaited release of Darkest Dungeon, one of the best roguelike RPG titles we've ever played.

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Apr 11, 2018

All the while, the roar of the excellent narrator commentates the success and failures of the player as they progress through intricately hand-drawn environments and battles with sound design tailored to perfection.

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Gameplanet
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Jan 25, 2016

Darkest Dungeon is a tough, atmospheric and rewarding RPG whose sanity mechanic, narration, and indelible aesthetic set it apart from the pack.

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