Dark and Darker is a pretty ingenious combination of genres.
The game is simultaneously a fantasy dungeon crawler and a PvPvE-style multiplayer game in which you’re just as much at risk from other players as you are from environmental hazards.
With that in mind, if you’re looking for an experience akin to Dark and Darker, you might struggle, as it’s a very unique prospect.
However, there are plenty of games you can check out if you’re looking for something that’s in the same ballpark. Here are the 20 best games like Dark and Darker!
Hunt: Showdown
While Hunt: Showdown doesn’t feel too similar to Dark and Darker in terms of aesthetic, it is a PvPvE multiplayer experience, which makes it ideal for those “hunting” this aspect of Dark and Darker.
The basic idea is simple: hunt down nightmarish bounties, cash them in, and watch out for other players, who will be hunting the same quarry as you.
Despite a simple premise, Hunt: Showdown still manages to be relentlessly addictive.
Escape from Tarkov
It’s probably fair to say that Escape from Tarkov is the most popular multiplayer PvPvE game out there right now, so if you’re looking for a game with a thriving community, look no further.
Escape from Tarkov places more of an emphasis on realism than many of its compatriots do, so don’t go in expecting to be coddled by the game.
If you can handle its hardcore slant, Escape from Tarkov can be immense fun.
Sea of Thieves
This piratical adventure primarily focuses on exploring the seas and finding pirate treasures, but it also features fairly heavy PvP elements, making it ideal for Dark and Darker fans.
You’ll assemble your very own pirate crew (or sail solo if you’re feeling brave), delve into dungeons full of undead beasties, and fend off other pirate crews as you go.
The art style is much more cartoony than Dark and Darker’s, but this game can still provide hours of entertainment.
Marauders
This looter-shooter boasts a focus on PvP and PvE gameplay, so if you’re still hankering for some good old-fashioned conflict after Dark and Darker, give this game a look.
Its brutal, dark aesthetic seems somewhat inspired by that of Warhammer 40k, but Marauders is very much its own beast; you’ll hunt through shipwrecks for loot while fending off monsters and other player crews.
If you like Tarkov but wish it had more of a sci-fi feel, this one’s for you.
Elden Ring
Fair warning: Elden Ring doesn’t pull its punches, and it’s also very different to the kind of game you might be expecting if you want something similar to Dark and Darker.
However, the game does feature PvP and PvE elements, and the two intersect fairly often if you’re playing online, so we’re including it on this list.
From Software’s open-world Soulslike masterpiece is a great option for Dark and Darker fans.
Barony
Don’t let the simplistic visuals fool you; Barony is a full-fledged dungeon-crawler that can be enjoyed with up to three friends, either in online play or split-screen.
The game uses procedurally-generated levels, too, so no two runs will ever be the same, making this ideal for a quick session or two during a slow afternoon.
Barony doesn’t support PvP, but it’s a great co-operative experience.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
No matter what platform you like to play on, you’ll find a version of Skyrim available for it, so if you somehow haven’t experienced this superb open-world adventure, you won’t have to look too hard.
While Skyrim doesn’t feature any kind of PvP, it does have plenty of first-person dungeon-crawling to enjoy, so if you’re more enamoured with the PvE side of Dark and Darker, this is a great place to go.
Just be aware that Skyrim has more than its fair share of glitches and jank, even 12 years after its release.
Ark: Survival Evolved
If you look hard enough, you’ll find communities of Ark: Survival Evolved players dedicated to PvPvE gameplay, so make sure you comb the server list to find what you need.
This survival game lets you tame and ride dinosaurs, and what could be more fun than that? Admittedly, it’s fairly far from Dark and Darker in gameplay terms, but it hits a similar part of the brain.
Give it a shot if you’re happy to experiment a little!
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Again, Darktide doesn’t really feature any kind of PvP element, but it is a great multiplayer game that lets you loose in the grimdark world of Warhammer 40k.
Together with your friends (or random players if you’re feeling brave), you must help to take back the beleaguered city of Tertium, battling the agents of Nurgle as you go.
If you love Left 4 Dead, you’ll like this too!
Minecraft
Hear us out. We know Minecraft might not seem superficially similar to Dark and Darker, but it does have a range of servers that support PvPvE gameplay.
At its core, Minecraft is actually a survival experience, which is something that many players largely accustomed to the game’s creative mode don’t realise.
Try Minecraft if you’re happy to branch out a little as a Dark and Darker fan.
Legend of Grimrock 2
The second Legend of Grimrock game offers very similar dungeon-crawling thrills to the first, so don’t worry if you haven’t played its predecessor.
The goal here is to recreate the old-school dungeon-crawling adventures of yore, so expect murderous difficulty, a lack of hand-holding, and a focus on exploration.
If that sounds appealing, make sure to check out Legend of Grimrock 2.
Valheim
If you love teaming up with your buddies to explore a hostile and unforgiving land, then Valheim should definitely be at the top of your list.
It’s not much like Dark and Darker in core gameplay terms, but it’ll still scratch a similar itch as you and your compatriots try to make a life for yourselves in the titular realm.
Don’t blame us if you lose hours of your life to this one.
Remnant II
This followup to 2019’s curious Soulslike Remnant: From the Ashes expands many of its predecessor’s systems, but it’s still very much the same rootin’ tootin’ Soulslike shootin’ otherwise.
The procedural generation element of From the Ashes is where Gunfire has put most of its focus for this sequel, meaning that many more aspects of the game are randomised this time around.
Make sure to give this a look if you want an adventure that’s better with friends.
Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon doesn’t have any kind of multiplayer aspect, but it does let you loose in a series of brutally unforgiving dungeons where your life is at stake on each adventure.
The idea of Darkest Dungeon is to emphasise the stress and terror your adventurers go through when exploring dungeons, so if you’re looking for an easier experience, look elsewhere.
If, however, the dungeon element of Dark and Darker is what appeals, give this one a shot.
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
Again, this isn’t a multiplayer-focused adventure; it does support a multiplayer mode, but it feels fairly vestigial and weak, so the single-player is where you’ll get your money’s worth.
Dark Messiah is one of those games you’ll either instantly love or immediately hate. Its story is forgettable and its world is poorly-built, but the gameplay more than makes up for these deficiencies.
After all, who doesn’t love kicking orcs into spikes?
Arx Fatalis
Before there was Dark Messiah, there was Arx Fatalis, a sort of spiritual successor to Ultima Underworld that features a vast underground world to explore.
If you like Arkane’s later adventures like Dishonored or Prey, you’ll find much to love in Arx Fatalis, and if you’re looking for dungeons to crawl after Dark and Darker, this is a great place to go.
There’s no multiplayer, but as single-player games go, this one excels.
Tom Clancy’s The Division
While the majority of The Division 2 doesn’t really resemble Dark and Darker, you’ll find what you’re looking for in the Dark Zone, an unfettered PvPvE zone where pretty much anything goes.
Here, you’ll find the opportunity to explore and loot gear, but more importantly, going Rogue allows you to battle other agents and get even better loot.
You do so at your own risk, of course, but it can be a truly exhilarating experience.
EVE Online
If you’re going to play EVE Online, it’s important to be aware that the game isn’t for everyone. If you’re not into a slower and more methodical gameplay pace, you may not find much to like here.
If you do click with EVE Online, though, you’ll find a vast and active world to explore, complete with opportunities for both PvE and PvP gameplay.
It’s fairly far removed from Dark and Darker, but EVE Online is still great fun.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
We’ll admit we’re deviating somewhat from the brief for this one, but if you like the tension and uncertainty of Dark and Darker, then PUBG could be for you.
It’s pretty much the prototypical battle royale game; 100 players are dropped into an arena and only one can be declared the victor.
Again, it won’t be for everyone, but PUBG is worth playing at least once.
Chivalry 2
The last game on our list is probably the least like Dark and Darker; there aren’t any PvE elements here, with Chivalry 2 instead choosing to focus purely on PvP.
Still, the chunky mediaeval combat will likely appeal if you’re a fan of going toe-to-toe with opponents in a more direct sense.
Chivalry 2 is also constantly being updated with new content, making it an ideal game to keep dipping into now and then.
