Darkwood Reviews

Darkwood is ranked in the 71st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10.0
Jan 27, 2023

The top-down survival horror also appeared on next-gen consoles, and although it doesn't scare that much, it looks well on PS5. But it is a fun journey.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

Geeks Under Grace
Sydney Stoddard
9.5 / 10.0
Nov 24, 2020

Darkwood is a masterpiece of the horror genre and at once accessible to wannabe horror gamers and harrowing to fear junkies.

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8.8 / 10.0
Aug 15, 2019

With its many surprises, Darkwood is a title with immeasurable depth that will keep horror fans gripped until the very end. An important focus on narrative-driven gameplay kept me hooked and desperate for answers. A horrifying aesthetic with spooky soundscapes plays with our instincts and terrifies the senses. When the title boasted "a horror game without jump-scares", I initially rolled my eyes. Most titles incorporate some kind of jump-scare to get a cheap reaction out of players. Even tastefully done jump-scares feel cheap to me because I'm not actually "scared," I'm just surprised. Darkwood succeeds where many other titles fail. It's a heart-racing experience that any horror fan worth their salt should attempt to survive.

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8 / 10.0
Jul 3, 2019

Darkwood manages to pull off horror to a truley stunning degree. What minor gameplay annoyances that there are in the game are more than covered for by the exploration and atmosphere.

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8 / 10
Jun 12, 2019

Darkwood is not a game for everyone – and that's perfect. As a survival horror game, it's one of the tensest and scariest experiences I've encountered. There is a very European soul in here, a desperation and acceptance of death that we can only see in eastern productions, giving us a hard look at something different, but equally beautiful.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Jun 4, 2019

Darkwood for the Nintendo Switch will certainly scratch the itch of a survival focused gamer. This takes the premise of games like Don't Starve, then takes itself much more seriously and makes it somewhat spookier. The harshness won't appeal to everyone, and the horror themes wear thin before too long, but for the right survivalist, or glutton for punishment, this may be exactly what you were looking for.

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Jun 3, 2019

Darkwood succeeds in creating a haunting atmosphere that will leave even veteran horror gamers on edge, but it has its fair share of tedious moments as well.

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7 / 10.0
Jun 2, 2019

Darkwood has an interesting world, a story that can go in different directions depending on your decisions, and a gameplay loop that's exciting at times and tedious at others.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 2, 2019

Darkwood is a simple but hugely satisfying top-down horror survival game that will have you jumping at shadows.

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DualShockers
Cameron Hawkins
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
May 31, 2019

Try to escape a haunting forest with an intriguing cast of characters in Darkwood.

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7 / 10
May 31, 2019

Darkwood is really not for everyone's hands. Unforgiving and far from being linear, it's above all aimed to gamers who are experienced in the survival genre. The sound design is neat and conveys a real feeling of despair and horror, even if the visuals and the game design in general lack of variety.

Review in French | Read full review

7 / 10
May 30, 2019

As far as survival horrors on the Nintendo Switch go, Darkwood certainly knows how to keep players alert and on their toes, as well as to make them take their own decisions to survive. Where Darkwood doesn't fully stand out is when it comes to its visual environment, as well as on solving technical issues but beyond that, this is a game that will satisfy fans of the survival horror genre.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

4.6 / 5.0
May 30, 2019

Darkwood is a great little horror ID title and deserves a good reception. If you enjoy horror titles and more so survival horror games, then you`ll enjoy this.

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8 / 10
May 30, 2019

Darkwood is a work of absolute value, able to create a sense of deep and pervasive restlessness, which results in anxiety at the beginning of each night. On consoles, the game suffers from a more cumbersome gameplay. A cruel adventure, suitable for those who think they have seen everything in their videogame career.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Digitally Downloaded
Lindsay M.
Top Critic
May 29, 2019

Unfortunately for me Darkwood is unintelligible, and I'm genuinely sad that I wasn't able to appreciate the many merits of a game because I simply had no way of actually making sense of it.

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7 / 10.0
May 26, 2019

Darkwood is a game with potential, and I certainly hope the developers take any lessons learned from it and return with the killer horror title they’ve come close to creating.

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XGN.nl
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 26, 2019

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.

Review in Dutch | Read full review

9 / 10
May 25, 2019

Darkwood tells the story of escaping from a mysterious and scary forest, where darkness and fear are the powers at work, and although it suffers from shortcomings here and there, the atmosphere alone is enough to keep you engaged and take your breath away.

Review in Persian | Read full review

82 / 100
May 23, 2019

Darkwood is a challenging and rewarding horror game that will test even the hardcore survival horror buff. The gameplay loop of finding new and better resources by day and fending off horrifying creatures by night is surprisingly addictive.

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80 / 100
May 23, 2019

Darkwood plays with the fear of the unknown to create an atmosphere and situations of pure terror. If you've been looking for a true survival horror game for years, one that doesn't rely on jump scares and make you turn on the lights at night... You've just found it.

Review in Spanish | Read full review