More than 10 Years Later, ‘Darkwood’ Is Still the Scariest Horror Game I’ve Ever Played

I’m always looking for the next horror game to truly scare me. Not to simply jolt me awake with a jump scare, but to really strike fear in me. To cause furrowed brows and rising heart rates as the feeling of dread grabs ahold of me. I always try to meet horror games in the middle – playing them alone, at night, with all the lights off, immersing myself as much as I can. And while there are a handful of games that succeeded in giving me the spooks in the last few years, none have come close to 2017’s Darkwood.

‘Darkwood’ takes survival horror to the next level

Darkwood is a horror game, but it’s also a survival game. A brutal one, at that. Upon starting the game, it tells you outright that it will not hold your hand. You’re on your own, and Darkwood isn’t shy to thrust you into its unforgiving world before you even have time to tie your shoes. Each day, you’ll venture deeper into an unknown forest, scavenging for things like wood and nails for various crafting purposes. Along the way, you may meet characters who may or may not help you. They’re trapped here too, after all, and the only difference between you and them is the humor they’ve found in their cruel fates.

When night falls, you’ll race back to your abandoned hideout and brace for the worst. Those planks of wood and nails you found earlier now serve as barricades to keep whatever inhabits the forest away from you. But, only moments later, you realize that it’s never enough. Whatever’s out there will find a way in, and it’ll be a fight to the death to determine who gets to see the morning. If you manage to make it, you’ll get to continue your journey through Darkwood‘s haunting narrative and figure out how to escape the nightmare you’ve found yourself in.

a new perspective on fear

At first glance, it’s hard to imagine how a game like Darkwood could be as frightening as I’m making it out to be. Cinematography is a big part of a good horror, after all. Framing the perfect shot, with all the right angles and lighting, is key. It’s why the fixed camera angles of early Resident Evil and Silent Hill games were so effective. You see what the game wants you to see, and your suspense fills the leftover gaps.

Darkwood, on the other hand, is a top-down isometric game. And yet, creators Acid Wizard Studio are able to use that perspective to their advantage, capturing that same suspense that early horror classics gave us. In Darkwood, you only actively see what the protagonist can see. A small cone of vision reveals what’s directly in front of you, while a sort of “fog of war” surrounds the outsides of your peripherals. Sure, you can tell there’s another room behind a door in an abandoned house, but the only way to find out what’s in there is to crack it open and peek through. All the while looking over your shoulder for whatever could be creeping behind you in the meantime.

It’s a clever way to create constant ambiguity around you at all times. It’s easy to assume you’re safe while traversing through a sunlit forest, but the occasional snapping of twigs, rustling of bushes, or faint growls behind the trees keep you constantly guessing. Constantly stopping, turning around, and finding respite that you’re not being followed. Except, most of the time, you are.

you can’t ask for better atmosphere than ‘Darkwood’

Darkwood‘s horror succeeds due to its incredible atmosphere. From the very beginning of the game, you’re at war with everything and everyone. From the forest and its inhabitants to time itself. You’re an intruder here, and it couldn’t be any clearer that you’re not wanted. When the sun begins to set, and the shadows creep closer and closer, you quickly realize there’s no refuge here. It’s as if the forest itself is a living entity, messing you with and watching you at all times. You can’t trust anything, even your own senses, making for an oppressive atmosphere that grabs tight and never lets go.

There’s no better example of this than barricading yourself in your hideout each night and surviving until dawn. Rushing home when the set begins to set, making sure there’s fuel in the generator, and barricading doors and windows in preparation for what’s to come. Packing yourself in tight spaces with your back against a wall, it’s five to ten minutes of grueling dread. But, it feels like a lifetime. This is when Darkwood gets the most intense. Whispers grow louder, furniture begins to move on its own, and intruders somehow find their way inside. If you can survive until that crescendo begins and the morning light peeks through the cracks in the walls, then you’ve made it. A new day begins, and the process repeats itself.

To this day, I haven’t found a game that captures fear like Darkwood. It’s a horror game like no other, and I’ll sing its praises for as long as I can.