Lovecraftian video games are some of our favorite horror experiences. Designed specifically to break apart any medium that may host them, Lovecraftian stories bank heavily on our innate fear of the unknown. Though the progenitor of such cosmic horror stories had other, less agreeable ideas in mind, what evolved from his works far outweighs the cons of his worldview. The genre does still bear Howard Phillips Lovecraft's name, of course, but it has since far outgrown his original constraints.

In this day and age, Lovecraftian elements of horror are basically omnipresent. For the uninitiated, cosmic or Lovecraftian horror presents a 'contemplation of mankind's place in the vast, comfortless universe revealed by modern science', which is then brought to heel by a horrific discovery of some sort. An absolutely perfect subject matter for video games, we feel.

That's why we've prepared a list of awesome Lovecraftian video games for you to peruse. Hopefully, you'll find something new to play, because we definitely have. Ranging from first-person shooters all the way to traditional point 'n' click adventures, there's stuff for anyone and everyone featured below. Let's get to it!

New Lovecraftian Video Games

lovecraftian video games

By 'new' we mean 'contemporary', mind. There's a lot of ground to cover, so we're going to be as brief as possible in describing the what and why of each of the games we're featuring here. Note that some might be a tad unexpected, but do keep an open mind. And yes, before you ask - we fully understand the irony in that.

Having recently been featured in our Indie highlight article, Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a Lovecraft-junkie gamer's dream come true. The pitch is that the infamous Cthulu-fueled apocalypse already happened, and you and your gang of merry madmen need to complete your selfish quests in the hellish remains of the civilization. Fun!

This is the obvious choice for anyone who's ever really gotten into Dark Souls. Let's be real here: players are thrust into a world that's on the very verge of collapse, have to fight off horrific monstrosities that subvert both physics and metaphysics on the regular, and they must play a role in an elliptical catastrophe that's far beyond human comprehension. The developers, FROM SOFTWARE, know very well what they're doing. Bloodborne, anyone?

From the former Payday devs comes a game that isn't outright Lovecraftian, but may as well be. GTFO has all the makings of the genre, you see. Players are tasked with exploring an infinitely sprawling complex infested with misshapen entities. The source of this plague? The very same extinction-level event that got rid of the dinosaurs. Design-work behind some of the creatures you'll encounter in GTFO is quite amazing, but this is a shooter first and foremost.

The famous first-person horde shooter draws heavy inspiration from the Cthulhu mythos. In fact, the game's recent Holiday event featured the Great Priest of the Old Ones himself, and it was a real boon. Do note, however, that this is a no-nonsense hyper-violent FPS.

Old Lovecraftian Video Games

lovecraftian video games

We couldn't help but highlight a few older Lovecraftian video games, too. Again we've got a range of genres and niches; from tense horror adventures all the way to butt-whoopingly hardcore shooters. Have a pick!

Here's the thing: you might not be interested in the sort of nuanced horror that's offered by some of the games mentioned above or below. Perhaps you'd rather go with something that's an honest-to-Nyarlathotep traditional Lovecraftian horror. Shadow of the Comet is what you're looking for, if that's the case.

Darkness Within is one of our favorite Lovecraftian video games, in that it's true to the central premise of the genre while still maintaining an identity of its own. You don't often get to unravel a horror mystery such as this, we can tell you that much.

It's the apocalypse: the sky is bloodier than blood, there are demons and cultists roaming about, and you need to take down a god to stop the situation from devolving even further. That's the good stuff, isn't it?

Not many games let you kill the proxy of Shub Niggurath itself, we think. Quake does, though! This fan-favorite genre-defining FPS has you gunning down Lovecraftian monstrosities, which disassembles the central point of the genre, but it is what it is! A lovely change of pace from the more serious stuff, we feel.

What does the future hold for Lovecraftian Media?

lovecraftian video games

For those who've been keeping track of 2Game, it's clear we're big fans of the topic at hand. We've previously spoken about the notion of 'playing the unplayable', and even horror-themed creature designs. We've no doubt the topic will keep popping up as Lovecraftian video games enter further into the mainstream.

If you, too, are a big fan of horror media, we recommend you keep track of our work. You never know when something new and awesome might pop up, and chances are, we'll be right on top of that.

Have a great existential crisis, and grab the games we featured above using our discounts! In case you'd like even more suggestions, we do have a list of games for you to look into! We'll expand on the subject matter in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check it out:

Have fun!

Lovecraftian video games are some of our favorite horror experiences. Designed specifically to break apart any medium that may host them, Lovecraftian stories bank heavily on our innate fear of the unknown. Though the progenitor of such cosmic horror stories had other, less agreeable ideas in mind, what evolved from his works far outweighs the cons […]