Games Like DARQ: Complete Edition

Take on the role of Six, a lone child lost in a massive metal vessel known as the Maw, surrounded by dangerous, distorted versions of adults. You’ll need to do your best to escape in one piece or your fate will be worse than you ever dared dream.

Why similar: Horror 17%, Puzzle Platformer 15.3%, Dark 13%, Stealth 10.4%, Atmospheric 8%

Why You'll Like It: This title perfectly captures the vulnerability and grotesque, dream-like aesthetic found in DARQ.

Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project. INSIDE is a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles. It has been critically acclaimed for its moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere.

Why similar: 2.5D 23.1%, Puzzle Platformer 19.1%, Dark 15.9%, Horror 13.1%, Puzzle 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: A benchmark for atmospheric, side-scrolling puzzle-platformers that relies on environmental storytelling and dark, unsettling themes.

Little Nightmares II is the second game in a series that has thrilled and captivated millions of players worldwide since 2017. Now it’s your turn to try to survive this critically acclaimed entry in the most charming horror series ever made.

Why similar: Horror 19.2%, Dark 14.3%, Psychological Horror 10.8%, Stealth 9.7%, Puzzle 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: It shares the same 2.5D puzzle-platformer DNA with a focus on escaping terrifying, surreal threats.

Uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters LIMBO

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 35.5%, Dark 17.8%, Puzzle 11.1%, Horror 9.9%, Atmospheric 8.1%

Why You'll Like It: The foundational 2.5D puzzle-platformer that established the dark, monochromatic, and atmospheric style common to this genre.

Dive into a surreal ocean abyss in an atmospheric puzzle-adventure. Explore dangerous waters, possess sea creatures and solve environmental puzzles to discover what lies deep below the surface…

Why similar: Dark 14.7%, Puzzle Platformer 14.1%, Horror 12.4%, Side Scroller 12%, Surreal 11.9%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, underwater puzzle-platformer that emphasizes dark, oppressive atmosphere and unique environmental mechanics.

A little boy falls asleep to a horrible nightmare. Can you make him happy again?

Why similar: Horror 25.9%, Psychedelic 22.3%, Dark 21.8%, Surreal 14.6%, Atmospheric 8.3%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply surreal and nightmarish experience that uses a puzzle-focused structure to explore disturbing, dream-like imagery.

Experience true psychological horror as you explore nightmares inspired by the creator's struggles with depression and OCD. The defenseless protagonist must avoid monstrous manifestations of what haunts his subconscious in his quest to wake up into reality.

Why similar: Horror 35.1%, Psychological Horror 32.8%, Atmospheric 11.5%, Dark 6.7%, Survival Horror 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: This game captures the feeling of being trapped in a recurring, inescapable nightmare through its distinct, hand-drawn art style.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a first person survival horror. A game about immersion, discovery and living through a nightmare. An experience that will chill you to the core.

Why similar: Horror 29.7%, Psychological Horror 13.1%, Survival Horror 12.4%, Dark 10.4%, Puzzle 8%

Why You'll Like It: The definitive psychological horror game that emphasizes helplessness and atmospheric tension over direct combat.

Among the Sleep: Enhanced Edition is a new and improved version of the award winning first person horror adventure. In the game you play as a small child trapped in a weird nightmare where you go looking for your mom.

Why similar: Horror 44%, Atmospheric 10.4%, Dark 9.9%, Survival Horror 8.3%, Psychological Horror 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: It explores the vulnerability of childhood within a nightmarish, distorted world, much like the premise of DARQ.

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.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 29.9%, Horror 17.7%, Dark 16.4%, Puzzle 13.5%, Surreal 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A haunting, surreal point-and-click adventure that masterfully blends childhood trauma with dark, psychological horror.

Experience the altered memories of a dying man, reliving his entire life as a little boy while lying on his deathbed. Explore the profound depths of his subconscious as you assist Griffin to shed the remains of his miserable life before his impending demise.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 14.1%, 2.5D 14%, Stealth 12.1%, Dark 10.4%, Psychological Horror 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on emotional, puzzle-driven exploration within a dream-like world that feels both fragile and dangerous.

DISTRAINT is a 2D psychological horror adventure game for PC. In order to secure a partnership in a famous company, Price seizes the property of an elderly woman. In that very moment, he finds out the price of his humanity.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 28.9%, Horror 25.9%, Dark 12%, Atmospheric 7.7%, Side Scroller 6.1%

Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror game that uses a side-scrolling perspective to deliver a dark, narrative-driven experience.

Detention is an atmospheric horror game set in 1960s Taiwan under martial law. Incorporated religious elements based in Taiwanese/Chinese culture and mythology, the game provided players with unique graphics and gaming experience.

Why similar: Horror 26%, Psychological Horror 19.1%, Dark 12.7%, Puzzle 9.9%, Atmospheric 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric horror game with a 2D side-scrolling perspective that explores psychological trauma and surreal, supernatural elements.

Where do you run to when your demons reside within you? Decarnation is a pixel art adventure/action puzzle game with a horrific story inspired by some of the most influential films and novels in the genre. Dive into a breathtaking thriller where nightmares and dreams intertwine…

Why similar: Surreal 17.4%, Dark 12.8%, Psychological Horror 11.6%, Horror 11.1%, Puzzle 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: A surreal, psychological horror experience that uses puzzle elements to navigate complex, emotional, and disturbing narrative themes.

When reality is a nightmare, nightmares become real. In this psychological horror game, you fight the terrifying creatures invading your mind. Can you save your sanity?

Why similar: Horror 19.6%, Psychological Horror 19.1%, Dark 17.7%, Survival Horror 16.4%, Atmospheric 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: A deeply atmospheric psychological horror game set in a surreal, war-torn dreamscape that challenges the player's perception.

Delve into a dark adventure following the boy with a prosthetic face and a tragic past. Unravel the sinister mysteries of Sally's world to find the truth that lies hidden beneath the shadows.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 23.9%, Dark 20.8%, Horror 18%, Puzzle 11.6%, Atmospheric 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, psychological narrative game with a unique aesthetic that delves into unsettling, surreal mystery.

Surrounded by enemies and assaulted by terror from all sides, Philip must collect clues and solve vexing puzzles while combating the gnawing psychological terrors that assail his mind and threaten to strip him of his sanity.

Why similar: Horror 24.9%, Stealth 19.5%, Psychological Horror 16.7%, Survival Horror 9.6%, Dark 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: Features masterful use of physics-based puzzles within a claustrophobic and terrifying horror setting.

The Cat Lady follows Susan Ashworth, a lonely 40-year old on the verge of suicide. She has no family, no friends and no hope for a better future. One day she discovers that five strangers will come along and change everything...

Why similar: Horror 24.4%, Psychological Horror 20.7%, Dark 17.3%, Surreal 12.3%, Atmospheric 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: A mature, dark psychological horror experience that excels at creating a deeply uncomfortable and surreal atmosphere.

As the lights go out, the embers of darkness are stoked in the sleepy town of Dormont. Confront uncomfortable horrors, keep your sanity in check and survive the night in this story-driven first-person psychological-thriller.

Why similar: Stealth 16.5%, Psychological Horror 12.9%, Horror 12.2%, Survival Horror 11.9%, Surreal 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror game that plays with light and shadow in a surreal, shifting environment.

This story-driven adventure follows a mystery of death and despair from reality into the surreal realms of objective memories and subjective experiences. Search the mind, solve puzzles, and unravel the dark truth in this psychological thriller.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 21.4%, Dark 21.3%, Surreal 19%, Thriller 15.1%, Atmospheric 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: Explores the surreal nature of the human mind through investigation and psychological analysis.

Embark on a terrifying adventure of a priest accused of murdering an altar boy. Gray Dawn is a psychological thriller infused with religious elements and combines story-driven quests with an artistic experience.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 24.1%, Horror 17.3%, Thriller 15.1%, Adventure 9.2%, Psychedelic 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric, story-rich psychological horror game that uses religious imagery to create a surreal and unsettling environment.

As long as I have dreams in my heart, I can never escape. I can never awaken from my dreams. Maybe if I follow the dream just past this doorway, then someday I can wake up again...

Why similar: 2.5D 14.5%, Puzzle Platformer 13.7%, Stealth 12.7%, Psychological Horror 10.3%, Dark 10.1%

Why You'll Like It: A modern reimagining of a classic surreal exploration game that focuses entirely on the bizarre nature of dreams.

Led by her new friend, Mr. Voice, Misfortune ventures into the woods, where mysteries are unraveled and a little bad luck unfolds.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 32.6%, Horror 23.2%, Dark 18%, Adventure 8.6%, Atmospheric 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, surreal story-driven game that mirrors the dream-like, often whimsical yet disturbing tone of DARQ.

One gloomy night, Bulb Boy wakes suddenly from a frightening nightmare to discover that evil has overshadowed the Bulbhouse. His family has disappeared and there are horrid monsters lurking in the shadows. Gather the courage and use his glass head to save everything he loves.

Why similar: Horror 28.4%, Dark 24%, Adventure 12.3%, Puzzle 11%, Surreal 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: A grotesque, surreal puzzle-adventure that feels like a fever dream, emphasizing visual storytelling and bizarre mechanics.

In Nightmare is a narrative-driven horror adventure game combining sneak action with diverse puzzles. It follows a young boy in search for the last hope of love who is working out his own salvation by navigating through his fear.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 29%, Stealth 20.2%, Psychological Horror 16.5%, Atmospheric 10%, Adventure 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-platformer that explicitly deals with the mechanics of a child's nightmare and the struggle to wake up.

You play as a man called Jacob Reeves. A man who has lost his reason to live. He throws himself into a blackness to end his misery, but instead of it being the end he wakes up without a memory of his life before.

Why similar: Horror 26.9%, Psychological Horror 19.3%, Side Scroller 13.1%, Dark 12.1%, Puzzle 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, psychological horror game that prioritizes atmosphere and narrative depth over traditional gameplay loops.

A 3rd person, fixed-camera survival horror adventure. Fear the Presence, a mysterious entity you cannot fight: stay alert, hide, breathe slowly... Explore cursed places where unseen spirits and lost souls linger in a true horror story for the ages.

Why similar: Dark 19.6%, Survival Horror 19%, Psychological Horror 17.9%, Horror 16.4%, Atmospheric 8.9%

Why You'll Like It: Features a persistent, terrifying threat that requires careful navigation and puzzle-solving to survive.

A first-person horror adventure. Uncover your past and survive the Algerian desert. Fear is your enemy; stay calm to not succumb to an illness threatening you and your loved one. Avoid darkness, hide from monsters and solve puzzles. Adventure Mode available for a less scary experience.

Why similar: Stealth 19.4%, Horror 13.5%, Dark 10%, Puzzle 9.7%, Survival Horror 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: Expands on the psychological horror roots of the series with a focus on narrative and surreal environmental storytelling.

💀🧩🕹️ Beyond The Darkness is a horror adventure game with puzzles where you help little girl Milly battle nightmares in the darkness to find her missing family. You will find yourself in bizarre worlds of memories, distorted by fears, and your only weapon will be the light of a small lamp...

Why similar: Horror 23.7%, Puzzle Platformer 15.7%, 2.5D 14.6%, Dark 12.8%, Psychological Horror 9.5%

Alex wakes up at his grandmother’s, left alone in a silent house. Unsure where his family is, he begins to uncover a dark mystery in an attempt to escape. Facing his fear in an endless nightmare, Alex must survive the dead of night, a cursed forest, and paranormal activities before daylight arrives.

Why similar: Dark 16.4%, Horror 15.2%, Psychological Horror 14.4%, Thriller 11.3%, Third Person 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: A third-person horror game that emphasizes puzzle-solving and atmospheric dread in a mysterious, isolated location.

Doorways: The Underworld is an immersive horror adventure, featuring a complex story and deep atmosphere.

Why similar: Stealth 14.5%, Horror 14.1%, Dark 13.6%, Survival Horror 13.2%, Psychological Horror 12.3%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, exploration-heavy horror game that features surreal, disorienting environments designed to unnerve the player.

Perception is reality. In this mind-bending first-person puzzler, you escape a surreal dream world through solving impossible puzzles using the ambiguity of depth and perspective.

Why similar: Surreal 16.5%, Puzzle Platformer 13.8%, Puzzle 13.8%, Psychedelic 12.9%, Psychological Horror 11.8%

Locks is a horror puzzle-platformer set in a puppet show. The game features a new type of puzzle, and the evil doesn't chase the puppet, as it usually does in platformers, it chases you.

Why similar: Dark 10.6%, 2.5D 10.6%, Puzzle Platformer 9.9%, Horror 9.4%, Side Scroller 8.5%

A fever-dream-like puzzle horror game. Descend to the depths of a sleeping curse, survive every floor and find your way out of the never ending nightmare.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 16.7%, Dark 16.2%, Horror 16%, Surreal 13.1%, Psychedelic 10.7%

Nightmare Horror Story an adventure game from the first face in a horror genre provides you to take a trip in a huge and dark city full of dummies. You would have a possibility to figure out in a weird atmosphere when alive people are missed and everything that had remained is the dummies.

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 14.8%, Psychological Horror 13.1%, Dark 13%, Horror 12.4%, Survival Horror 12.3%

In Rise of Insanity, as a doctor of psychology you will explore the darkest recesses of the human mind. Overcome your fear to find the truth behind the tragedy that has befallen your family.

Why similar: Horror 17.1%, Psychological Horror 16.1%, Dark 12.1%, Survival Horror 11.3%, Psychedelic 11.1%

Trapped in total darkness, you’re a helpless kid, alone and hunted by something lurking in the shadows. Solve puzzles, navigate shifting rooms, and uncover creepy secrets. Your worst nightmares are real. Can you make it through the night?

Why similar: Psychological Horror 21.1%, Horror 20.1%, Thriller 14.7%, Puzzle 13.5%, Atmospheric 11.4%

DREAM LOGIC is a story driven first-person atmospheric horror game which takes place in liminal spaces. Explore various nostalgic, dreamlike, uncanny environments. But don't feel too safe, there's a sneaky creature watching your every move.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 24.7%, Horror 21.1%, Atmospheric 12.9%, Puzzle 12.8%, Mystery 10.1%

A dark tale of survival and conscience, blending platforming, puzzles, and haunting beauty. Journey through surreal lands where every choice shapes the fate of a world on the edge of ruin will you restore the light or embrace the darkness?

Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 11.6%, 2.5D 11.4%, Stealth 11.2%, Dark 9.6%, Side Scroller 8.7%

Wander through an interactive nightmare set within the confines of a once-happy household. Piece together the mystery behind a harrowing series of events while struggling to survive encounters with an entity that relentlessly stands in the way of finding absolution.

Why similar: Horror 25.6%, Psychological Horror 25.5%, Dark 17.1%, Surreal 12.4%, Atmospheric 9.6%

Lucid Dream is the story of little Lucy, who goes on an adventure into the world of dreams with the mission to save her mother.

Why similar: Dark 17.9%, Psychological Horror 16.9%, Surreal 15.4%, Horror 12%, Puzzle 9.7%

Face the fears lurking in the dark. Obscula is a psychological horror experience that tells the story of someone seeking the truth but finding themselves trapped in a nightmare. There's no escape, only answers… but are you ready for the truth?

Why similar: Dark 18.4%, Psychological Horror 17.1%, Horror 16.1%, Surreal 14.1%, Thriller 12%

Evacuated from their hometown due to dangerous bursts of dark energy, the ordinary citizen is trying to overcome and survive a series of events in a new reality where living as a human is no longer possible as it once was. 3rd-person horror with fixed camera angles and retro-styled graphics.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 15.3%, Horror 15%, Survival Horror 12.3%, Third Person 10.2%, Surreal 9.9%

Don't Be Afraid is an adventure horror game, that allows you to personate a boy, kidnapped by a psychopath. You have to survive, escape and find out how you were kidnapped. Exploring the gigantic, mysterious house of your torturer, you will soon reveal many secrets, hidden inside it’s walls…

Why similar: Horror 24.2%, Survival Horror 22.6%, Psychological Horror 21.3%, Thriller 12.3%, Atmospheric 9%

John Herrin survived a horrible accident, damaging his brain and memory. Through falling asleep, he can rediscover his unfortunate past in his dreams, but due to his brain damage he'll start to see visions and hallucinations, and falling asleep won't be as easy as it seems at first...

Why similar: Psychological Horror 16.7%, Stealth 16.6%, Horror 13.5%, Survival Horror 13.2%, Surreal 12.5%

You awaken in a cold unfamiliar building crawling with grotesque creatures. Stave off terror using your wits and anything you can find, then try to make it out alive in this highly atmospheric environmental horror game.

Why similar: Stealth 15.4%, Dark 12.9%, Psychological Horror 12%, Survival Horror 11.6%, Horror 11.4%

Trapped in a nightmarish mannequin factory where reality itself is shattered, unravel the secrets of Mirrored Phantoms. Explore a deeply atmospheric world, solve the mystery of the mirror shards, and survive the terrors that await in this slow-burning, first-person horror experience.

Why similar: Horror 23.1%, Psychological Horror 21.2%, Dark 15.6%, Stealth 9.9%, Atmospheric 9%

Daniel wakes up to the same nightmare every night. A girl he cannot escape. When he finds a missing child report tied to his childhood home, he returns to uncover a truth buried in twisted games and shattered memories.

Why similar: Horror 17.9%, Dark 17.4%, Puzzle 16.5%, Psychological Horror 13.5%, Adventure 13.2%

You just want to play a video game in an old game club, but time passes quickly, and strange noises draw you into a dark nightmare! A nightmare that begins with an old video game... Are you ready to experience a 2D platformer game within the heart of a 3D first person psychological horror game?

Why similar: Dark 21.7%, Horror 19.4%, Psychological Horror 18.5%, Puzzle 13%, Mystery 9.1%

Step into a Psychological Horror Experience where you live in an apartment complex where the walls between reality and nightmares are crumbling. Run for your life, solve small puzzles and use items to help you survive.

Why similar: Dark 23.9%, Psychological Horror 20.1%, Horror 20%, Surreal 19.3%, Mystery 10.5%

"INHUMAN" is an independent horror game. The story takes place in the conspiracy of an ancient clan, and the protagonist is in a psychedelic state and can't even distinguish herself. With further exploration and confrontation with all kinds of ghosts, the puzzle will be solved step by step...

Why similar: Psychological Horror 15.7%, Horror 15%, Psychedelic 14%, Puzzle Platformer 11.9%, Thriller 11.2%

The dark will reveal all!Explore the macabre past of an old mansion in the 1930's and solve puzzles of light and shadows in this fully black & white survival horror! Players are trapped in this nightmare where darkness is a constant threat!

Why similar: Horror 36.1%, Survival Horror 24.7%, Puzzle 18.8%, Adventure 15.7%, Singleplayer 4.8%

You find yourself inside your dream, which turns into one continuous nightmare.

Why similar: Psychedelic 20.9%, Dark 15.8%, Psychological Horror 14.4%, Surreal 12.4%, Atmospheric 9.8%

SANRI is a first-person psychological horror game where you play a schizophrenic character whose wife disappeared during camp. Face the delusions, solve the mystery and try to find her despite your constantly distorted perception of time-space.

Why similar: Dark 15.2%, Psychological Horror 15.2%, Horror 14.6%, Stealth 14%, Survival Horror 14%

Tormenture is a psychological horror game where you play as a child trapped in a cursed 8-bit game with a dark secret. To survive, you must find four relics and solve reality-blurring puzzles. But beware—some creatures may escape the game and haunt you in the real world. A game within a game.

Why similar: Dark 19.9%, Side Scroller 17.6%, Horror 15.8%, Surreal 13.8%, Puzzle 11.5%

NOX: Chapter 1 is a first-person puzzle game, where the player has to make use of gravity changes, gravity shifts and portals to explore the dreams and nightmares of a child. All this, in a world inspired by the work of Escher.

Why similar: Surreal 30.3%, Psychological Horror 29.4%, Puzzle 25.5%, Physics 7.8%, Adventure 5.8%

A man living in his new apartment finds himself in the center of something much more sinister.

Why similar: Horror 28.4%, Surreal 21.3%, Puzzle 15.4%, Dark 15%, Atmospheric 8.2%

Doorways is an immersive horror adventure, featuring a complex story and deep atmosphere.

Why similar: Horror 36.3%, Survival Horror 16.1%, Dark 14.8%, Psychological Horror 8.7%, Adventure 8.3%