What are the best Lovecraftian games inspired by the legendary HP Lovecraft?
Lovecraftian horror, also known as cosmic horror, has become increasingly popular recently. Something about creeping madness and questioning existence itself captivates us. When we dive into Lovecraftian horror we experience things that we never thought we could -- we feel puny, insignificant, powerless, masked with dread at our very existence. And we love every bit of it.
Here are 15 of the top Lovecraftian games for you to dive into and experience all sorts of monstrous horrors and existential dread:
15. Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu Trailer
Call of Cthulhu just dives right into the very mythos created by Lovecraft himself. Based on the popular pen and paper RPG of the same name, in this game you play as a private investigator sent to get to the bottom of a family’s mysterious death in their mansion on the Boston shore.
As you delve deeper into the secrets shrouding the entire situation, you will discover a world of cosmic horror, malignant cults and monstrosities, ancient gods and madness. Keeping your sanity will be important.
You may choose your own path in doing all of this, whether that means confronting other characters or going rogue. Just be aware that everything you do affects the outcome of the story.
Explore the dark deep of the mysterious Hawkins mansion
Uncover unimaginable horrors and ancient evils
14. Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon - Terror and Madness Trailer
Darkest Dungeon is a side-scrolling, dungeon crawling, turn-based game in which you delve deep into the earth with a band of heroes, encountering difficult enemies and uncovering cosmic horrors.
In your journey you will deal with all sorts of afflictions beyond enemies, such as famine, disease, and insanity, but will you carry on? Are you strong enough to get to the darkest dungeon?
The gameplay revolves around its difficulty. You will fail, and heroes will die, and you will face challenges that seem impossible to overcome. But for some of us, this is where we get our enjoyment.
Faceoff against challenging foes from the deep
Recruit your band of heroes to adventure into the depths
13. Gray Dawn
Gray Dawn Trailer
In Gray Dawn, you are a priest tasked with proving his innocence regarding a missing altar boy. Whether or not you are guilty, you sink into a world of forbidden memory and twisted religion.
Throughout your journey into this, you will piece together the truth as jumbled bits of the story are presented to you, often in very unsettling ways.
Overall, Gray Dawn is an intense psychological experience that gives its players fulfillment through the revelation of the story as you progress.
Dive into sinister truths as you try to prove your innocence
Discover a world of sick and twisted religion
12. Blackout: The Darkest Night
Blackout: The Darkest Night gameplay
Blackout: The Darkest Night is a unique, choose your own adventure game centered around the idea that you blacked out and do not know what is going on. All you know is that something terrible and unspeakable is afoot.
You will go about trying to either pursuing the truth, however awful it is, or running from it, leaving it in the past. In doing this you must focus on three main attributes: courage, sanity, and fitness. These affect the paths you can take and the outcomes you can reach.
At its core, Blackout: The Darkest Night is about facing great, hidden fears and, in the end, facing yourself.
Make important choices and discover the hidden truth
11. Omen Exito: Plague
Omen Exito: Plague gameplay
Omen Exito: Plague is a story-driven, Lovecraft inspired game that takes place entirely in a book. Quite literally a book. You will flip pages, read, and ultimately make the decisions that drive the narrative.
Another game that draws directly from the imagination of Lovecraft, Omen Exito: Plague will have you looking into deep, dark forces that have great influence on the world under the surface. Whether or not it ends prettily depends all on you.
Develop your character as you flip through rich pages
Choose the path you take as you uncover the deep forces influencing the world
10. Bloodborne
Bloodborne gameplay
A personal favorite, Bloodborne is a combat-driven RPG that has you slay hoards of eldritch monstrosities as you explore the streets of its world. Another game renowned for its difficulty, you will face off against nightmarish foes and infuriating bosses.
Bloodborne also boasts a rich and intriguing lore that you will be fascinated by as you progress through the game. Though its does not draw directly from Lovecraft’s mythos, it has obvious Lovecraftian influence.
If you can handle attempting levels and bosses an impractical amount of times without smashing your screen, then Bloodborne is an extremely well-executed and rewarding Lovecraftian experience.
Fight through a world infested with hoards of the damned
Battle immense eldritch horrors to the very end
9. Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones gameplay
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is another game from this list to not only take influence from Lovecraft, but directly use his creations. In this 2D, turn-based RPG you will create the unique character that you will use to experience this haunting, twisted world, testing your sanity and strength.
You will enter a dead and doomed world where The Old Ones have awakened. You will journey from notable places like Arkham into bleaker places unimaginable.
The game blends its role-playing elements with a comprehensive combat system that you will need as you encounter forces much greater than yourself. It’s a horrid and weird world, how will you survive?
Experience the dead and doomed world of The Old Ones
Duel ghastly enemies as you explore the bleak world
8. Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure
Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure gameplay
This one is a bit more of a comical take on the Lovecraftian genre. In Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure, your objective is to transform your cat back to normalcy after you turn in into a talking abomination using the dreaded Necronomicon.
You will embrace on a comical adventure from Lovecraft country to Transylvania in order to get that darned cat to stop talking, stumbling into a unique world of cosmic horrors.
Embark on an exciting point and click journey from Darkham to Transylvania
Play as three unique and fun characters including an investigator and a cat
7. The Consuming Shadow
The Consuming Shadow gameplay
In The Consuming Shadow, you will play as an investigator traveling the UK in search offor a way to stop an impending invasion from an Elder God. You will find clues and fight enemies, all before it’s too late. You only have 60 hours to do this.
In your search, you will explore procedurally generated dungeons that can vary from houses to hospitals. And of course, as in any Lovecraftian game it seems, you must care for your sanity. Making too many ill decisions will make things turn sour fast.
Travel from Scotland to Stonehenge before time runs out
Exciting encounters in various dungeons from warehouses to parks
6. Lovecraft’s Untold Stories
Lovecraft’s Untold Stories gameplay
As the name suggests, this game is based directly on the stories of H.P. Lovecraft himself. It is an action RPG that has you fighting through randomly generated levels modeled after Lovecraft’s stories, fighting the monstrosities that exist within.
There are also some investigation elements incorporated in the game. As you explore you can gather information that will help you face the Great Old Ones. But make the wrong decision and your creeping madness will only hasten.
The game is full of variety. You can play as 5 unique characters each with their own attributes and characteristics, and you can fight hundreds of Lovecraftian monsters.
Battle hundreds of horrid monsters throughout multiple Lovecraft worlds
Dive deep into the lore of the Cthulhu mythos
5. Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened - Remastered Edition
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened gameplay
In this game, you will investigate the myth of Cthulhu as the legendary Sherlock Holmes and his loyal partner Dr. Watson. You first look into some mysterious disappearances, leading you to investigate many places such as Switzerland and Scotland.
The game mixes the traditional, rational approach of Holmes with the strange and supernatural fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. You will investigate and solve puzzles as you try to piece together the horrors you are faced with: the unimaginable Cthulhu.
Investigate places haunted by lurking evils of ancient gods
Encounter the sick and twisted people of Lovecraft’s creations
4. The Secret World
The Secret World gameplay
The Secret World is an MMORPG where you are thrown into a modern world of war against supernatural, ancient horror. Myth and legend cross over in this world, and you must use your abilities and weapons to uncover and destroy evil.
You will traverse the globe in the pursuit of this, going on investigative missions, fighting hideous monstrosities, and teaming up with friends online.
Join hundreds of players in an online world to fight its monsters and keep evil at bay
Create and develop your personal character with attributes and abilities
3. Elder Sign: Omens
Elder Sign: Omens gameplay
This is a video-game adaptation of the tabletop board game of the same name by Fantasy Flight Games. You and a team of investigators work together to keep an ancient evil at bay.
You will explore places from oceans to deserts in search of the Elder Signs, the only hope you have at sealing the Ancient One out of this world.
You can play as over 30 different investigators in over 200 adventures to hold over 7 Ancient ones at bay.
Investigate the Elder Signs and keep the Ancient One out of this world
2. Conarium
Conarium gameplay
Conarium is inspired by one of Lovecraft’s more popular novellas “At The Mountains of Madness”. It is the story of four scientists in Antarctica who are faced with the hideous realities of nature.
You play as one of the scientists who awakens to a strange, eerily deserted laboratory. Your memory fails you, but horrible feelings remain. You must explore this terrible place in search of answers.
As you explore you will gather clues and information, experience chilling dreams and visions, and unlock secrets all while avoiding encounters with worse things.
There are multiple possible ending, so how will you end up?
Explore a chilling world inspired by “At The Mountains of Madness”
Question reality as you regain (or lose) your sanity
1. The Sinking City
The Sinking City gameplay
In The Sinking City, you will play as a private investigator sent to look into strange occurrences in a New England sea town. Much of the town is submerged by a mysterious flood, and you will uncover the terrible truths that its has fallen victim to ancient, abominable cosmic horrors.
At its core, The Sinking City is an investigation game. You will explore the open world, gathering information and clues about what is happening, and occasionally fighting an eldritch enemy.
You will test your sanity as you reveal the horrors that plague the town, face your own demons and mysteriously dark past, and ultimately face whatever fate awaits you depending on the choices you make.
Stand your ground and fight against the horrifying enemies you encounter
Experience a rich, Innsmouth-like sea town and its inhabitants
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