Do you like the dark atmosphere of Lovecraft style? Here is an essential selection of genres!
Game News Do you like the dark atmosphere of Lovecraft style? Here is an essential selection of genres!
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Darkness, abomination, madness, nightmares and tentacles… If you appreciate HP Lovecraft’s work, these words will be familiar to you. It’s not uncommon to find such an atmosphere in video games, so many productions pay homage to this writer. This is an anthology of the best titles that perfectly capture the essence of Lovecraft’s work.
In this selection, we will focus on games whose atmosphere was inspired by the author Lovecraftwithout even thinking about obvious and explicit references like Call of Cthulhu or Lovecraft’s Untold Stories.
Summary
- Darkest Dungeon
- bloodborne
- Eternal Darkness
- Amnesia: Dark Descent
- Sunless Sea
Darkest Dungeon
It’s hard not to mention Darkest Dungeon in the selection of games with a Lovecraftian atmosphere. Officially released in 2016, this rogue RPG developed by Red Hook Studios is transcribed a chilling atmosphere where stress and sanity are at the heart of the gameplay. Cruel and sadistic, this really isn’t the right game to latch onto a character you level up knowing they’ll serve as cannon fodder at some point or another. Many famous Lovecraft references in storytelling, bestiary, and environment. Darkest Dungeon received an excellent score of 18/20 from JV, we can regret that the second was less successful than the first.
bloodborne
Another video game character inspired by Lovecraft: Bloodborne. Action-RPG FromSoftware superbly copies the essence of Lovecraftian imagination. The lavish sets and artistic direction are reminiscent of the urban landscapes of Eastern European countries transposed to the Victorian era. The dark and heavy atmosphere coupled with the tiring battles make this title a must have in the Souls saga. At JV, it’s 18/20 embellished Bloodborne, where we can add a touch of Lovecraftian relevance that accompanies the player perfectly.

Eternal Darkness
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is a video game so heavily inspired by the Lovecraft universe, that it’s at the limit of adaptation. Released in 2002 on Gamecube, this title is an excellent survival horror. Sanity is at the center of storytelling and gameplay. Everything feels like an endless nightmare tinged with myth and magic. Eternal Darkness can cause various playable characters, but also the player, to lose their minds. If the health is at the lowest, the save can be cleared. Thus, those who pay attention to this, in turn feel the depravity of the soul. At JV, this title is rated 16/20, a testament to its high quality.

Amnesia: Dark Descent
Always with a gameplay based on mental health management, Amnesia: The Dark Descent already marked the spirit when it was released in 2010. On Youtube, a lot of Let’s Play is thriving, which gives the game an eerie aura. This survival horror is so amazing and captivating. Darkness represents danger that is everywhere, even an enemy within himself. The player must try to defend his reasoning at all costs at the risk of suffering increasingly disturbing effects. It was rated 15/20 at the time and highlighted numerous Lovecraft references in the screenplay.

Sunless Sea
Let’s finish our selection with Sunless Sea. It is a video game that is a mix of adventure, RPG and rogue-like set in a universe full of Lovecraftian mythology. As the title suggests, you sail the dark seas plagued by dangers that are as realistic as they are fantastic. Sunless Seas is an original indie game that deserves more attention, but remains a reference for Lovecraft fans. The aesthetics of the early 20th century are reminiscent of the period inherent in the works of famous authors. It received a rating of 17/20 from JV, when it was released in 2015, highlighting in particular the quality of his scriptwriting.
