gothic video games

Since many video games feature Gothic horror themes and Gothic elements in general in their narratives, settings, visuals and art direction, I decided to create this list to compile them.

It's based in my gaming experience so I only included the ones I have played before. I used the following criteria: if a game includes Gothic imagery like architecture, reminds of the past, fear, mortality, death and horror, supernatural phenomena, and bleak, uneasy, and dreamlike atmosphere I added it. This list on Backloggd.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993)

In Castlevania X: Rondo of Blood, the player takes control of Richter, the ultimate Vampire Killer, guiding him through a total of nine stages filled with treacherous traps and hidden secrets. Using your legendary whip – passed on from generations of Belmonts – and a powerful selection of Item Crash attacks, it's up to you to destroy Dracula and his evil horde.

Hexen: Beyond Heretic (1995)

That's the game in my profile intro. Hexen takes place in a world littered with the mangled corpses of nonbelievers and inhabited by the undead followers that executed them. Only three humans; a warrior, a mage and a cleric; have escaped the leaders' vicious spell. Now these brave souls have sworn to crush the evil regime that threatens to destroy the world forever. Separated upon entering the mystical portal, the three are forced to attempt on their own what they had hoped to do together: find Korax's stronghold, destroy him and restore order in the physical world.

Quake (1996)

The player takes the role of a unnamed protagonist who is sent into a portal in order to stop an enemy code-named "Quake". Previously, the government had been experimenting with teleportation technology, and upon development of a working prototype called a "Slipgate", this enemy has compromised the human connection with their own teleportation system, using it to insert death squads into the 'human' dimension, supposedly in order to test the martial capabilities of humanity.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)

Dracula's castle reappears five years after his death by the hands of vampire hunter Richter Belmont. With the Belmont missing, Dracula's son, Alucard, awakens and arrives at the castle to destroy it once and for all.

Baroque (1998)

Baroque takes place in a post-apocalyptic future after a world-altering cataclysm called The Blaze caused The End of the World as We Know It. The only things left in this world are people who survived by clinging to their Baroques (a sort of crystallized ideal or self-image), and Meta-Beings whose mind, body, and souls have been warped by distortions.

Thief: The Dark Project (1998)

A thief named Garrett, raised and trained by a shadowy guild known as the Keepers, is tasked with retrieving valuables from the houses of the wealthy in a sprawling medieval metropolis. But as he takes on bigger heists, Garrett becomes entangled in a larger conflict involving more than just larceny.

Koudelka (1999)

Set in 1898 in Aberystwyth, Wales, the game follows the mysterious occurrences surrounding Nemeton Monastery and the three protagonists who, by chance, are forced to investigate its dark history.

Thief II: The Metal Age (2000)

Garrett, a master thief, is drawn into a conflict between two factions vying for control of the city. On one side are the Mechanists, a group of technologically advanced zealots who seek to impose their vision of order on the city. On the other side are the Pagans, a group of nature-worshiping outcasts who seek to preserve the city's ancient traditions. As Garrett navigates the city's underworld, he must use his skills as a thief to steal valuable items and gather information that will help him uncover the truth behind the conflict.

Devil May Cry (2001)

Dante visits Mallet Island on a mission to prevent the return of the world conquering dark emperor Mundus, whom the demon-hunter-for-hire holds responsible for the death of his family.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (2003)

The year is 2035 and Soma Cruz is about to witness the first solar eclipse of the 21st century when he suddenly blacks out—only to awaken inside a mysterious castle. As Soma, you must navigate the castle's labyrinths while confronting perilous monsters at every turn. But beware, you must escape before the evil consumes you!

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (2004)

A vampire society replete with vying political factions exists in secrecy within modern Los Angeles. You are thrust into this society after being "sired" (vampirified), and you must navigate these factions as you are tasked with unearthing the truth behind a sarcophagus which is rumored to contain one of the Antediluvian—ancient, powerful vampires whose return in the modern era allegedly beckons apocalypse.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005)

A year has passed since Soma Cruz discovered the evil of Dracula hidden inside his body. Now, a mysterious cult wants to release the power of the Lord of Darkness. As Soma, you must do everything in your power to stop them before it's too late.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening (2005)

A young Dante is opening up his Merc Agency when he receives a challenge from his twin brother Vergil. The following events, exponentially shape his future and make for "one hell of a party."

Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010)

On 19 August 1839, a young man awakens in the dark and empty halls of Brennenburg Castle in Prussia with no memory about himself or his past.

Dante's Inferno (2010)

Dante's Inferno is an epic single player, third-person action adventure game inspired by "Inferno", part one of Dante Alighieri's classic Italian poem, "The Divine Comedy." It is a classic Medieval tale of the eternal conflict with sin and the resulting horrors of hell, adapted for a new generation and a new medium.

Alice: Madness Returns (2011)

Alice returns to Wonderland in hopes of security and comfort, but unfortunately, it has once again become warped by her growing insanity, and a new threat in the form of the Infernal Train. To save its residents—and herself—from the evil that is taking over Wonderland, Alice must set off to destroy the new evil head-on, as well as embark on finding the true cause of her family's mysterious deaths if she wishes to retain the remaining part of her precious sanity.

The House in Fata Morgana (2012)

In an attempt to restore the memories of the one she serves, a maid invites her master to explore the tragic history of a mansion said to be cursed by a vengeful witch.

Bloodborne (2015)

Bloodborne follows the player character, a Hunter who must halt the spreading scourge of beasts - former inhabitants of the decrepit, ruined city of Yharnam inflicted with a mysterious blood-borne disease. In his attempt to discover the source of the plague, the Hunter slowly unravels the truth about the city, its morbid history, as well as his own predicament.

Fran Bow (2015)

Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.

Darkest Dungeon (2016)

Darkest Dungeon is a challenging gothic roguelike turn-based RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring. Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes against unimaginable horrors, stress, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Can you keep your heroes together when all hope is lost?

Layers of Fear (2016)

Delve deep into the mind of an insane painter and discover the secret of his madness, as you walk through a constantly shifting house. Heavily inspired by the masterpiece paintings from the past centuries, and the architecture and décor from the XIX century.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)

Ethan Winters travels to rural Louisiana after receiving a disturbing video message from his missing wife Mia two years ago and stumbles into a mansion only to discover that Mia has been infected by a strange disease and is held hostage by the deranged Baker family.

Fear & Hunger (2018)

In the Kingdom of Rondon lies the dungeon of Fear & Hunger, where dark forces threaten the lives and sanity of any who enter. As either a mercenary, a knight, a dark priest, or an outlander—each coming to the dungeon with their own intentions—players must survive the trials that await them.

Blasphemous (2019)

When a curse known as The Miracle falls upon the land of Cvstodia, The Penitent One⁠—the only survivor of the "Silent Sorrow" massacre—must endure a series of trials to lift it.

Alisa (2021)

Alisa is a classic late-90s style horror-themed action adventure game set in a fantasy universe inspired on the 1920s. You play as an Elite Royal Agent called Alisa. While she is chasing a wanted criminal, she ends up in an old victorian mansion. She tries to find a way out while being haunted by materialized/mechanized doll-like humanoids. Can you survive the Dollhouse?

Steelrising (2022)

Paris, 1789. The French Revolution has been suppressed with bloodshed by Louis XVI and his merciless mechanical army. Aegis, a mysterious automaton masterpiece, must confront the king's army alone to save history in this challenging action-RPG.

Thymesia (2022)

Following the proliferation and widespread abuse of alchemy, the Kingdom of Hermes is being consumed by a plague that turns men into monsters and lunatics. A mysterious, plague-infused warrior known only as "Corvus" must comb through his memories piece by piece to discover a cure—and the true nature of alchemy.

Blasphemous II (2023)

The Penitent One awakens as Blasphemous 2 joins him once again in an endless struggle against The Miracle. Dive into a perilous new world filled with mysteries and secrets to discover, and tear your way through monstrous foes that stand between you and your quest to end the cycle one and for all.

Darkest Dungeon II (2023)

Darkest Dungeon II is a roguelike road trip of the damned. Form a party, equip your stagecoach, and set off across the decaying landscape on a last gasp quest to avert the apocalypse. The greatest dangers you face, however, may come from within...

Lies of P (2023)

Lies of P is an action role-playing game set in a dark, Belle Époque-inspired city overrun by deadly puppets. Players control Pinocchio, reimagined as a mechanical warrior, navigating a decaying world while making choices that affect the unfolding narrative. The game features challenging melee combat, weapon customization, and a mechanical arm with various abilities.