Terraria
Terraria
Game
Game2017
Darkwood
Developer Acid Wizard Studio
Darkwood is a 2017 survival horror video game developed and published by Acid Wizard Studio. The game was first released through Steam Early Access on July 24, 2014, eventually becoming a full game release on August 17, 2017 for Linux, macOS, and Windows. The game was also ported to consoles by Crunching Koalas and was released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One in May 2019, for Google Stadia on… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
503 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
92
LovedLoved
294 positive · 26 negative
95% range 88–94%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 294 | 26 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 51 | 8 | 96 |
| Lemmy * | 7 | 0 | 21 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
11,038 of 11,718 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
93% recommend · 247 yes, 20 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 267 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (23,815 of 25,108 positive).
Players praise Darkwood's atmosphere and sound design as exceptional. [1][2][3] Many find it genuinely terrifying, relying on dread rather than jump scares. [4][5][6] Some reviewers note the game is unforgiving and may not suit everyone. [7][6][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [13]
I am incredibly conflicted when it comes to this game. The gameplay is so unique and does an amazing job of making things tense. The story is gripping and kept me locked in for 20 hours. The art style has immense personality. I genuinely enjoyed 80% of this game. ….but the night portion of the game is just so boring. The game is broken up into daytime exploring and nighttime defending. The latter of which is …
- [1]
Easily the best game I played in 2025, after the dust has settled I can without a doubt say this a top 5 of all time game for me. This is the pinnacle of survival horror, you will feel beaten, battered, and spooked to the max. The feeling of hopelessly crouching in a corner while the most unsettling rustling and screeching you've ever heard happens right outside your ramshackle shelter, only to realize the angelic …
- [5]
Darkwood is what happens when fear learns patience. It doesn’t jump out at you—it follows you home, sits beside you, and whispers that the night isn’t over yet. It’s grim, it’s tragic, and yet somehow, it’s beautiful. A masterpiece of atmosphere and despair, the kind of game that stays with you long after you close it. You don’t play Darkwood to survive—you play to understand what it means to be afraid.
- [6]
I was very hesitant to play this game, but decided to buy it only because a friend told me I had to give it a shot. I thought "how could a top-down game possibly be scary??" This is hands down the scariest game I have ever played, and on top of that the storytelling is beautiful, and gameplay is engaging. This is truly a perfect game, but it is also unforgiving and will not lead you by hand. If you are a patient …
- [2]
Darkwood : the "cult classic" with 94% positive reviews... "Cult classic" is a term that get thrown around a lot. Every niche community has its "classics" than 90+% of the mass audience haven't played, sometimes even heard of. And most of the time, they're not : for a very specific audience, everything clicks, but for most people, it's okay at best and vastly overrated. And Darkwood ? Well, this one, I can get …
Summarised from 34 of the 402 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 9, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Darkwood sits at 92% positive across 320 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Critics wrote positive pieces regarding the game prior to and after its public release. It has a score of 80/100 on Metacritic based on 16 reviews. Metacritic also included it in their "top 100 best videogames of 2017" list. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received strong approval, being recommended by 77% of critics. Amy Josuweit, writing for The Mary Sue, praised the game for not relying on jumpscares, creating what she calls a "PTSD-inclusive horror experience". The game was nominated for "Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game" at the 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards. The announcement of the Nintendo Switch version was followed by articles by Variety and IGN. In the…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 503 · most liked firstitch pulled my game so if you like Darkwood & thicc ladies, here it is:
neutral · AI labelView post →YAYYY ROGUELIKE FUN THIS WEEK 🥺 Its been so long! Balatro, Noita, and Darkwood (I hate this game! I'll play with heartrate monitor) :D Also continuing Ender Magnolia and Final Fantasy 16! And as long as things go to plan, late night Marvel Rivals on Saturday! 🎨Rine_mini
negative · AI labelView post →Some background concepts for the Darkwood from my fake video game EVERGRAVE. Spent around 30 mins on each of these (except the last one which is a previous post). I hope you like them!
neutral · AI labelView post →Welcome Ice-Pick Lodge to the Hooded Horse family! They're making Darkwood 2: a sequel to the unforgiving survival horror game originally created by Acid Wizard. We'll be publishing Darkwood 2 in consultation with the Acid Wizard team. Read more: store.steampowered.com/news/app/370...
neutral · AI labelView post →Doin a new (to stream) horror game called Darkwood! Come vibe and watch me be Courage the stinky scared dog :3
neutral · AI labelView post →I couldn’t really understand the game, and I’m not able to keep progressing. That said, this isn’t a reason to leave a negative review. It’s just not for me, that’s on me, not on the game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if the fat furry inflation british man tells me to play the unforgiving polish game i will play the unforgiving polish game bismillah
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Easily the best game I played in 2025, after the dust has settled I can without a doubt say this a top 5 of all time game for me. This is the pinnacle of survival horror, you will feel beaten, battered, and spooked to the max. The feeling of hopelessly crouching in a corner while the most unsettling rustling and screeching you've ever heard happens right outside your ramshackle shelter, only to realize the angelic choir and blistering light of the sunrise is coming to your rescue at the exact…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Chomper from Darkwood Created in PS1 aesthetics as practice and to express my love for this game. It looks familiar from the top-down perspective, but I’ll show you more angles later. #psx #lowpoly #gameart #Darkwood
neutral · AI labelView post →Godot 4 2D Visibility Mask Demo. If you ever wanted to make a game using visibility masking like the classic horror survival game Darkwood, then this demo is for you! In the readme I go over how it works as well as some pitfalls I've found along the way. If you have any issues or feedback for the demo, please let me know. Thanks! [Godot 4 Visibility Masking Demo on Github](https://github.com/jhlothamer/godot4_visibility_masking_demo)
neutral · AI labelView post →Recommendations of really moody games for crummy days. Edit 2: got a notification about Cronos: The New Dawn as I was launching Steam and decided to go for it. So far... holy hell, yep! Soo much yep! Just, uuh... turn off ray-tracing... Edit: thanks so much to everyone who chimed in, there are some awesome recs in this thread! Also, really sorry to hear so many of you can relate to such games, good thing we have'em! I apologise if I missed anyone's comment. OP: So, going through It™ again…
neutral · AI labelView post →This game doesn't rely on jump scares. It lets your imagination do the work until nightfall.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Darkwood : the "cult classic" with 94% positive reviews... "Cult classic" is a term that get thrown around a lot. Every niche community has its "classics" than 90+% of the mass audience haven't played, sometimes even heard of. And most of the time, they're not : for a very specific audience, everything clicks, but for most people, it's okay at best and vastly overrated. And Darkwood ? Well, this one, I can get behind. For a game made by only a few people, the result is astounding. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sometimes I find games on my wishlist that I simply cannot recall ever seeing before, I don't remember adding it, and probably wouldn't have even noticed it if it wasn't for the sale, and this is one such game. Is that...? Darkwood x Stardew Valley x Faith? What in the...??
neutral · AI labelView post →Darkwood is what happens when fear learns patience. It doesn’t jump out at you—it follows you home, sits beside you, and whispers that the night isn’t over yet. It’s grim, it’s tragic, and yet somehow, it’s beautiful. A masterpiece of atmosphere and despair, the kind of game that stays with you long after you close it. You don’t play Darkwood to survive—you play to understand what it means to be afraid.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Darkwood has become one of my all-time favourites 9.4/10 Darkwood. Wow. What a game. I started playing with no expectations really, especially considering I haven't really played top-down horror before. But within minutes, the game drew me in with its atmosphere and one-of-a-kind sound design. I have never played a game with such fantastic and quite frankly, brilliant sound design. The way sound is used in this game I have never experienced before, in ANY game, it's used in such a way that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Being completely sober after a long time of feeling lost, I needed a game to bring me back to my roots and feel human again, a game that would make me remember the cruelty of humanity and the emotional strangeness of the unknown. This game reintroduced my fear of what could lurk in the dark. Blair Witch is the only Horror title that has ever made me genuinely scared till I stumbled across this. There is nothing quite like it, no game with a basis on pure human survival and dragging oneself…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TL;DR Buyers be warned! You're in for an excellent time and stunning atmosphere... if you don't mind the gigantic blemish right at the heart of the experience, that is. I must preface this review by noting that I did not finish this game. I grew frustrated and tired, and couldn't find the will to play through to the end. But your mileage with this game will vary greatly based on your preferences, and I still think this game is excellent in every way other than the element that drove me to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TLDR This game is really unique. If you like survival horror games you should play it. If you like survival games, you should play it. If you like permadeath, you should def play it. If you like unique, new experiences, you should play it. If you like having to figure things out on your own, you should play it. ------- I played 55 hours on the Switch. If you're a console gamer and use a controller, get this game on a different system. I wish more games were made like this. There are 3…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Best part of this game was the recurring nightmares I had months later after I finished the game 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →'Darkwood 2' announced for PC and PC Game Pass. youtu.be/CR99LP_nays?...
neutral · AI labelView post →I like that because he's just called the wolfman in the game I have to refer to him like sans undertale so anyone actually knows who I'm talking about First name : Darkwood™ Last name : Wolfman
neutral · AI labelView post →Darkwood is a horror classic. A staple. A game that influenced other titles. It's a top down title that throws you into the woods where you need to scavenge and survive. For a modern day classic, $3 is a bargain. store.steampowered.com/app/274520/D...
positive · AI labelView post →Everyday, a man tries to sell me a stick. Everyday, I buy the stick. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Darkwood is a one-of-a-kind horror game, and not one that should be underestimated. Despite its top down perspective it's one of the scariest horror games I've played. The modern Resident Evil and Silent Hill remakes aren't even close. It's also a very difficult game, managing to blend survival horror and a large, explorable map very well. While it may not have super realistic graphics, it still looks great, but more importantly Darkwood takes the phrase "fear of the unknown" and runs with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My Video Game Backlog List 2.0: [S]=Series Darkwood Thymesia Cryptmaster Selaco Slay The Princess Disco Elysium Blasphemous [S] Dave The Diver Tormented Souls The Bookwalker Dread Delusion Gloomwood Blood West Pentiment Faith Incision Hrot Forgive Me Father [S] Ultrakill You Will Die Here Tonight
neutral · AI labelView post →Long story short, this game is one of the best game ever made. I can't believe I'm saying that as a life-long Resident Evil fan. It's as if it has no business getting into the protected top list of best horror games. A couple of things you have to know: - This developer literally put the game up on PirateBay to download for free. Any decent person would obviously pay for the game if they like it, but to this day they're unsure if it was a clever stunt or waste. - The developers made it clear…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've stepped into my own beartraps more times than the monsters I set them up for in the first place. And when I decide to stop setting up beartraps around my base, to stop stepping into them myself like an idiot, I step into a random one spawned in the forest. 10/10 game, changed my outlook on horror games as a whole.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You will like our indie game if you played these games: - Darkwood 🪓 - Sunless Sea 🌊 - Resident Evil 2 🚪 - TELEFORUM 📼
neutral · AI labelView post →I was very hesitant to play this game, but decided to buy it only because a friend told me I had to give it a shot. I thought "how could a top-down game possibly be scary??" This is hands down the scariest game I have ever played, and on top of that the storytelling is beautiful, and gameplay is engaging. This is truly a perfect game, but it is also unforgiving and will not lead you by hand. If you are a patient person, this game will not dissapoint.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Discussion] Which Soulslike will you be playing this weekend and what's your favourite boss cheese in a Soulslike?. I've been playing anything but soulslikes recently. Climbing my way up the ranked ladder in League, played some Darkwood, and recently got obsessed with Pokerogue which has been _a lot_ of fun. Soulslikes can pose quite a challenge for players with their oftentimes quite brutal difficulty: insane boss patterns that leave no breathing room, high amounts of damage, status damage.…
neutral · AI labelView post →I am incredibly conflicted when it comes to this game. The gameplay is so unique and does an amazing job of making things tense. The story is gripping and kept me locked in for 20 hours. The art style has immense personality. I genuinely enjoyed 80% of this game. ….but the night portion of the game is just so boring. The game is broken up into daytime exploring and nighttime defending. The latter of which is genuinely scary and intense for like the first couple hours of the game, and then…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Darkwood is good game
positive · AI labelView post →Darkwood is legitimately horrifying and fascinating in equal measure. I adore the lore and world of this game, its absolutely *dark*.
positive · AI labelView post →Three times have I started this game. And every single time I pussied out. This time I played for an hour and a half and decided to never return to it. Not a lot of games do this to me, so this is a good enough reason for me to recommend it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Discussion] Which Soulslike will you be playing this weekend and what's your favourite aesthetic in a Soulslike?. I've been sick for the past week, so gaming was kinda tough for me in general. Been playing League, as always, and have started Darkwood today ([@[email protected]](https://feddit.nu/u/Coelacanth)). I like it so far, but it's a _very_ different game from what I expected it to be. My favourite aesthetic in a soulslike definitely goes to Sekiro. I like its use of colour, I'm a…
neutral · AI labelView post →How many pixels are required to make a spooky game? That's what I intend to find out! Here's a little project I've been working on - a Resident Evil style survival horror with Darkwood style FOV & Aiming system. #indiegame #gamedev #indiehorror #indiegamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →Initially it took me a while to "find the fun" in Darkwood, the game's art style and concept interested me but it took a while for it to actually sink it's hooks into me - and admittedly it's still not totally grasped me, but I've clicked with the game enough to know I'm enjoying my time with it. First off, it's a very slow game which is fine don't get me wrong, but does make the pacing of the game feel like it drags a bit when so much of your daytime loot cycle is spent very…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Imagine "Don't Starve" and "The Forest", but polish, so way worse. Day: Run around in a Forest like a madman trying to find and scavenge for ressources in preparation for the Night, while trying not to get jumped by savages or monsters. Night: *Survive* Also Trader is best man.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Horror week continues with DARKWOOD (+ ❤️ monitor!) It's an interesting take on a horror game? A top-down roguelike survival game! I don't know too much about it so let's find out together! SURELY it can't be that bad haha... ⏰ 7pm PST/10pm EST 📍 youtube.com/watch?v=kOUw...
neutral · AI labelView post →Darkwood II announced as a Day One with Xbox Game Pass title.
neutral · AI labelView post →I can only play this game for an hour at a time before I get too anxious and have to take a break. Turn off your light, get cozy and zone into it, it's really good.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey Algorithm, listen up Disco Elysium Outer Wilds Pathologic Darkwood Dishonored Fallout Baldur's Gate 3 Dusk Mouthwashing Dread Delusion The Forest Elden Ring Bloodborne Video Games 3D Art Game Dev Indie Games Horror Books Fantasy Lord of the Rings Malazan Thanks for listening.
neutral · AI labelView post →So I originally played this game on the Nintendo Switch. Got only as far as this one village area in the second location and got stuck. Never beat the game, but this thought always stuck to the back of my head. "What was I going to discover next if i kept going????" For years i kept thinking of this game and then I saw it on sale here on Steam and decided to give it another try. (mainly because I don't touch my Switch much these days and prefer to game on my PC) I love this game, but I also…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If I were to put together a game A 2D top-down inspired by Link to the Past. A survival aspect inspired by DarkWood A Sahaliat as the main character (Multiplayer?) And of course creatures that eat you and each other (like Rainworld) Would there be interest in such a thing? Genuinely asking.
neutral · AI labelView post →Reminds me of what Minecraft probably felt like back when it first came out. The uncertainty of not knowing what's coming in the night and what kinds of monsters lurk about. Obviously, its a lot scarier than Minecraft though. Good game with slow-burn horror that always leaves you a little tense.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Darkwood is one of my favourite horror games of all time, and the Horse have picked up the publishing rights after their surprise announcement of Darkwood 2. It's an intensely nerve-shredding survival horror game, and I'd highly recommend it.
positive · AI labelView post →Rich story. annoying stamina limits. Terrifying nights in the safe room. I gave up multiple times — but I finally finished it today. No regrets.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When I was broke and in Uni, the developers of this game uploaded their own game to the pirate bay. I vaguely remember it being them doing this as an act against key resellers and key reselling websites. I downloaded it back then and played the pirated copy and couldn't for the life of me make it past chapter one. Anyway fast forward almost a decade and I've bought this game on PC and on 3 different consoles. I've played this game on and off for almost a decade now and I still come back to it.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I found this game tedious and joyless. To give a sense of how little it grabbed me: I first attempted it in October 2019, but didn't complete the prologue. I finally came back to it in October 2025, and had to start over. This time, I managed to complete the prologue, but just felt tired of it by Day 2. Movement is slow, combat is clunky, and it's unclear what you're even looking for. The world has a vibe that discourages, rather than entices, exploration, and just felt oppressive and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →With spooky month approaching I want horror games for stream. I have ideas like The Thing, Alien Isolation, Darkwood, Faith Unholy Trilogy, Resident Evils, and many more. All the things on Xbox gamepass, or the PlayStation game catalog. So let me know what sounds good, suggestions welcomed!
neutral · AI labelView post →i have no words to describe how atmospheric this game is, one of the best games i've ever played
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You are playing a challenging and unforgiving game. You will not be led by the hand. Respect the woods. Be patient. Focus.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK: Monday 7pm EST INDIE GAME SHOWCASE: Project Silverfish Wednesday 7pm EST: VOTV DAY: Voices of the Void Friday 7pm EST: SCARY FRIDAYS: Darkwood continued gonna figure out when to do bubsy day this week so stay tuned!
neutral · AI labelView post →If you really want to experience Darkwood the way it’s meant to be played, go for Hard or Nightmare difficulty. Playing on Normal reduces a lot of the tension and survival pressure that makes the game special. On higher difficulties, every decision matters — resources are scarce, nights are actually terrifying, and you truly feel the struggle to survive. That said, Normal is still fine for beginners or players who want to focus more on the story. But if you're looking for the real…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Darkwood. Only game that managed to scare me into dropping it. It has one of the most imaginative worlds of all time and an atmosphere so opressive it strays into excess sometimes. Nothing in the game lacks this weird aura of dread and tension. Absolute torture and I love it for that.
positive · AI labelView post →Absolutely horrific game! Expect nightmares when you play this. Do love the game but never want to play it again (can't wait for the sequel)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →playing this game completely blind with limited lives on the first playthrough must have been one of, if not the most terrifying experience i've ever went through in a video game. the sound design and other various intricate techniques that help build immersion strongly contributed to that. it nails it better than most of the best horror games out there and if it clicks, it forces you into treating it as seriously as possible, as if somehow your life depended on it thus increasing the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really good game. Its biggest strength lies in a truly tense atmosphere, supported by outstanding sound design. The gameplay works well and checks all the boxes of a survival horror game. The drive to craft newer and stronger items provides a satisfying sense of progression. Exploration is challenging but rewarding. The lore is intriguing, striking a good balance between being explanatory and dense. The game doesn't hold your hand, yet the steps to follow are clear enough. That said, here are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I would really enjoy playing this game if it saved automatically when you quit. Why is this not a feature? It is completely unclear how much longer you need to play before reaching the next autosave. When I want to stop playing and exit, I get a warning saying that the last save was six (!) minutes ago. Why not make it work like Don’t Starve, where the game saves when you leave? I do not want to replay a section I have already completed every time, or keep searching and playing until the game…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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