Good 'dark & heavy' games!

[CtenosaurOaxacana]

I'm really into dark & heavy themes in games, the really mature stuff.
Especially those that get the player to really think & feel about deeper stuff in life.
So I figured I'd share a list of recommendations, and I welcome any others too.
Fair warning that some of these games might make some people feel scared &/or sad!

Here's the ones I've played on steam, in alphabetical order:


Depression & self-doubt of artists -> Chicory: A Colorful Tale

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1123450/Chicory_A_Colorful_Tale/


Being condemned as a freak, yet trying to be a good person anyway -> Dropsy

https://store.steampowered.com/app/274350/Dropsy/


Isolation & solitude, learning to deal with it -> The Longing

https://store.steampowered.com/app/893850/THE_LONGING/


Psychosis & de-personalization -> Milk inside a bag of milk (+ sequel Milk OUTSIDE)

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1392820/Milk_inside_a_bag_of_milk_inside_a_bag_of_milk/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1604000/Milk_outside_a_bag_of_milk_outside_a_bag_of_milk/


Decay & misery of poor communities -> Night in the Woods

https://store.steampowered.com/app/481510/Night_in_the_Woods/


Guilt, hiding memories, self-destruction -> Omori

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150690/OMORI/


Struggles & issues of mental health care facilities -> Smile for Me

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1018850/Smile_For_Me/


Coping with the inevitable death of loved ones -> Spiritfarer

https://store.steampowered.com/app/972660/Spiritfarer_Farewell_Edition/


Horrors of war for civilians -> This War of Mine

https://store.steampowered.com/app/282070/This_War_of_Mine/

[CtenosaurOaxacana]

I accidentally posted this thread in the wrong sub-forum earlier this week,
but someone did remind me of another good game:

Child abuse & neglect, drug trips -> Fran Bow
https://store.steampowered.com/app/362680/Fran_Bow/

Any other posts from that thread are welcome to be reposted here too.

[Faedrill]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/714120/Little_Misfortune/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/243200/The_Dark_Eye_Memoria/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2430730/My_Child_Lebensborn_Remastered/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/437630/State_of_Mind/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1057750/The_Suicide_of_Rachel_Foster/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/433100/The_Town_of_Light/

[Mr. Smiles]

Fear and Hunger is dark and heavy on another level, be warned, not for the faint of heart or those aversed to questioning reality or their existence:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1002300/Fear__Hunger/

Also on a much lighter note:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/335670/LISA_The_Painful/

And:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/206440/To_the_Moon/

[Phénomènes Mystiques]

A game about dying, the afterlife, remorse, etc...:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/972660/Spiritfarer_Farewell_Edition

A game about being pushed over the limits of insanity:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/341940/Hatred

[CtenosaurOaxacana]

Some great extra options, thanks!

I do own Fear & Hunger it's a great rpg dungeon-crawler!
But like that Hatred game, I think they both lean more heavily on sheer brutality & violence,
and less on 'deeper stuff' like introspective contemplation of emotions & society, etc.

Lisa the Painful fits with the rest of this list just right though, I probably should've included it.

[Aluvard]

If you want game with good story and one, where definitely you will be sad

https://store.steampowered.com/app/206440/To_the_Moon/

Good game in brutal and grim world; the deeper you dig by exploring and connecting facts the worse picture you will get.
All in all, the game conveys well that everyone has their own goals and strives to achieve them even at the expense of others, small village mentality and lot of awful sides of humanity (lot of sadness too - decisions that should be done but weren't, griefing etc.).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1155970/Roadwarden/

Point&click with many topics and themes geared toward adult audience

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1221250/NORCO/

Believable and likeable characters and hard decisions due to that. Great game in horror setting.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/388880/Oxenfree/

Lot of mature stuff despite colorful visuals. Quite quickly, it will hit you with the brutal prose of life. Lots of indirect comments regarding humans and our nature.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1148760/I_Was_a_Teenage_Exocolonist/

Great story, lot of mature stuff and discussions about humanity. Unfortunately not for everyone due to used language (sometimes outdated or overly complicated) and game pacing.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/304650/SUNLESS_SEA/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/437250/A_House_of_Many_Doors/

[CtenosaurOaxacana]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Aluvard:

Good game in brutal and grim world; the deeper you dig by exploring and connecting facts the worse picture you will get.
All in all, the game conveys well that everyone has their own goals and strives to achieve them even at the expense of others, small village mentality and lot of awful sides of humanity (lot of sadness too - decisions that should be done but weren't, griefing etc.).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1155970/Roadwarden/

I own Roadwarden, haven't played too much but I like what I've seen so far.
Didn't realize it gets as dark as you describe it,
so I should definitely try getting further in the game.

[Aluvard]

Opprinnelig skrevet av CtenosaurOaxacana:

I own Roadwarden, haven't played too much but I like what I've seen so far.
Didn't realize it gets as dark as you describe it,
so I should definitely try getting further in the game.

Let's say, there is a lot of "prefered" truths about some places, people or events. In most cases those truths skip essential parts, to show people as better than they are.

[CtenosaurOaxacana]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Aluvard:

Let's say, there is a lot of "prefered" truths about some places, people or events. In most cases those truths skip essential parts, to show people as better than they are.

I'm gonna be honest, one of the reasons I stopped playing for awhile was because it started feeling like a 'help good boring villagers' sim lol. But this darker stuff sounds much more appealing.

[sumolagann]

Inside, Death Stranding, Paper Beast

A little at least

[Pigeon Pecking Keyboard]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/896460/Lucah_Born_of_a_Dream/

[CtenosaurOaxacana]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Phantasmal Pigeon:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/896460/Lucah_Born_of_a_Dream/

Oh wow, it's been awhile! I remember playing this one way back during the pandemic,
when itch.io had some creators & devs offering their games for free at the time,
and this was one of them.
HIGHLY recommended!
Especially if you're into a dark gritty sketch art style that expresses troubled souls!
Not to mention the cool battle system!

[Lunar Fang]

Let me hit you with the brain destroyer

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2008410/Garfield_Lasagna_Party/

[N3tRunn3r]

https://store.steampowered.com/developer/frictionalgames
(Multiple Endings)

https://store.steampowered.com/app/57300/Amnesia_The_Dark_Descent/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/999220/Amnesia_Rebirth/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1944430/Amnesia_The_Bunker/

SPOILER ALERT
https://store.steampowered.com/app/48000/LIMBO/

[Bee🐝]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/395170/DISTRAINT_Deluxe_Edition/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/743390/DISTRAINT_2/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115780/The_Almost_Gone/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1413480/Shin_Megami_Tensei_III_Nocturne_HD_Remaster/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/414340/Hellblade_Senuas_Sacrifice/

People who know...know... https://store.steampowered.com/app/368370/Her_Story/