H.P. Lovecraft is famous for a notorious brand of cosmic horror, which he mastered so thoroughly that it ended up as a separate genre named after him—Lovecraftian horror. What made his monsters stand out is that they are beyond human comprehension; anyone who sees them or tries to understand them ends up going mad or dying.

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Video games have tried to adapt his stories and put that cosmic dread on full display for gamers. Survival horror is an easy genre to pick from, but you can't fight what lies beyond your understanding. The best Lovecraftian horror games rely not just on the gameplay and story but on their atmospheres, too.

Updated on March 1, 2024, by Dennis Moiseyev: Anything Lovecraft is always chilling yet fascinating to explore, but video games particularly go the extra mile in immersing you in his stories with their astonishing art direction, environments, and gameplay elements. Lovecraft continues to be an inspiration for many developers in the field of horror games, and your Eldritch itch is guaranteed to be scratched by the following options.

1 Forgive Me Father

Forgive Me Father: Blasting Apart Monsters With Magic Weapons

The boomer shooter genre has grown more and more popular and received many innovative new titles over the years, thanks to the '90s greats that inspired them. One particular developer, Byte Barrel, thought, why not let Lovecraft be a part of this genre? This is precisely the goal of Forgive Me Father.

This game essentially has the supernatural sci-fi horror and gore characteristic of Doom and Quake but with a twist on the enemy design and art style being done in a hand-drawn comic book aesthetic. The environment design, weapons, and enemy variety also amazingly evoke the familiar details of Lovecraft's stories.

2 Sherlock Holmes The Awakened (2023)

Holmes standing in front of glowing Lovecraftian stones in a rocky otherworldly realm.

Frogwares is a Ukrainian developer clearly influenced by Lovecraft and well-known for creating new cases for Victorian London's finest detective, Sherlock Holmes, to take on. So the answer is Sherlock Holmes The Awakened, a game that combines the studio's two passions and pits Holmes against a cult worshiping Eldritch horrors, which received a remake in 2023.

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The graphics and visuals have gotten significant improvements from the original, with the puzzle and investigation mechanics kept largely the same. It now also serves as a sequel to Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, and while Sherlock Holmes typically shouldn't be so scary, this game's eerie Lovecraftian direction truly makes it one of the most haunting.

3 The Sinking City

The detective crosses a wooden pier while approaching Oakmont in The Sinking City.
The Sinking City

Platform(s)
PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Switch , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
Released
June 27, 2019
Developer(s)
Frogwares
Publisher(s)
Frogwares

Now that Frogwares won back the sole rights to The Sinking City and released an update patch with key bug fixes and optimizations for the PC version, it's the perfect time to support this game and the developer. It's the most Lovecraftian open-world atmosphere you can achieve in a video game setting, with all walks of the Cthulhu mythos represented, especially 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth.'

Similar to Alone in the Dark, Call of Cthulhu, and Frogwares' Sherlock Holmes games, you play a private investigator searching for answers in the 1920s backdrop of Oakmont, a city with water levels mysteriously rising at an unprecedented rate. Oh, and you might have some run-ins with the Esoteric Order of Dagon.

4 Dreams In The Witch House

Dreams in the Witch House Running from an Elder Thing during a dream

'The Dreams in the Witch House' isn't the most famous Lovecraft short story, but it has gotten previous adaptations in film and television, most famously an episode directed by Stuart Gordon in Masters of Horror and an episode directed by Catherine Hardwicke for Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. Well, this is the first in the video game realm.

Developed by enthusiasts Atom Brain Games, this reimagines the story as a pixel art point-and-click adventure around Arkham, where the Miskatonic University is a central location amid a larger world, considering the protagonist Walter Gilman is a math pupil. You also have the sound design courtesy of Troy Sterling Nies, known for his work on The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's movie adaptations and radio dramas.

5 Edge Of Nowhere

The protagonist Antarctic explorer walking into a chamber with bodies hanging from cocoons and an alien Lovecraftian creature with red orbs seen in the background.

Two fun things to know about Edge of Nowhere. One, it's a VR game exclusive to the Meta Quest (formerly Oculus Rift) made by Insomniac Games, the dynamic storytelling studio behind the Ratchet & Clank series and Marvel's Spider-Man games. Two, the game's setting and narrative are directly inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's 'At the Mountains of Madness.'

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That's right, a VR 'At the Mountains of Madness,' one of the most immersive ways to experience this Lovecraft story that has you face unimaginable horrors and survive the harsh Antarctic environment. Even cooler is that, unlike most VR games, this one keeps the player character third-person.

6 Eldritchvania

The main character Dougal jumping in the air to dodge the fireball from a tall, yellowish Lovecraftian-tendrilled creature dressed in a cloak.

Here's not something you see very often – a game rich in Lovecraftian lore and monsters, designed as a metroidvania platformer, and is also completely free to play. It's a little game called Eldritchvania.

This metroidvania has been compared by many to the classic La-Mulana and brings with it a vivid art style that oozes Lovecraft in all its minor details and offers some incredibly eye-popping visuals of the otherworldly monster designs. All the stages and rooms are hand-drawn, and it even comes with a father-and-son occultist storyline.

7 Dredge

Dredge: The Fishing Boat Leaving the marrows at night

Dredge is a seemingly normal fishing simulator at first glance, but the longer you spend on the sea, the more it appears that things aren't quite right. In Dredge, you can pull up fish that have been mutated by the eldritch energy that poisons the water, dredge shipwrecks for lost goods, and uncover the secrets of the sea.

This Lovecraftian exploration encourages you to discover and interpret the story for yourself and fish up all of the secrets that you can get your hands on.

Check out our 3/5-star review of Dredge!

8 Fear & Hunger

fear and hunger cahara standing next to old man in a cave

Fear & Hunger is a survival horror dungeon crawler that plays on every fear in the book. If you're scared of something, you will have to confront it in this game; if you aren't scared of anything, Fear & Hunger will make sure you leave with a new fear.

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Lovecraftian horror is woven into every bit of Fear & Hunger's atmosphere, and it's intense enough that the game's description specifies that this game is for mature audiences only. If you want to make things even scarier, consider playing in the dark for the extra atmosphere.

9 Darkest Dungeon 2

the exemplar boss in darkest dungeon 2

Darkest Dungeon 2 is the sequel to Darkest Dungeon, and it's ended up proving itself to be fairly polarizing. However, this roguelike will mercilessly pull you through the horrifying darkness throughout the land. It only grows harsher as you progress, with some intense gameplay and Lovecraftian abominations waiting in the depths for you to fight or discover them.

Darkest Dungeon 2 provides its own unique experience from the first game, inviting both old and new players to come and enjoy the lurking horror.

10 Soma

a screenshot of the underwater scenery outside the facility in SOMA
SOMA

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , Xbox One
Released
September 21, 2015
Developer(s)
Frictional Games
Publisher(s)
Frictional Games

In Soma, science fiction and Lovecraftian horror come together in a horrifyingly wonderful manner. You'll explore the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, trying to survive in an environment that desperately wants you dead in both the ocean and the facilities.

Soma will show you things beyond comprehension and make you question what it even means to exist as a human. You can't fight back against the environment, leaving you two options: outsmart it or run. Unfortunately, there's not very far you can run at the bottom of the ocean.

11 Carrion

Carrion underneath people in hazmat suits

In Lovecraft stories, you usually find yourself in the shoes of an innocent human stumbling upon ungodly creatures. In Carrion, you are the ungodly creature. Control a fleshy being that aims to consume and destroy all those that want to put you in a cage and stop you.

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This is a platformer experience where the creature you control has fleshy, slimy physics to match its outer, horrifying pixel appearance. Carrion is less about story and more about action and completing levels while trying to consume everything around you.

12 The Terrible Old Man

Terrible Old Man speaking to men in the bar

Terrible Old Man is a free-to-play point-and-click experience on Steam. It's a short and sweet adaptation of one of Lovecraft's short stories, 'The Terrible Old Man.' If you've read the story, you can now step inside the shoes of the people in the story by playing this game. Walk around asking locals about the town and what may lie ahead.

This small and free game does an amazing job at suspense and thriller, all in under 20 minutes. Despite the short play time, you'll be left thinking about this game and wanting more.

13 Call of The Sea

Call of the Sea holding photograph of moriah and husband
Call of the Sea

Platform(s)
Xbox Series X , PC , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PS5 , PS4
Released
December 8, 2020
Developer(s)
Out of the Blue
Publisher(s)
Raw Fury

Call of The Sea is what you would call a walking simulator. Though it has beautiful settings and a rich story, you'll spend most of your time walking and experiencing. You play as a curious wife who lost her husband to a dangerous expedition.

While trying to find out what happened to your husband, you'll uncover abnormal and strange things that you should probably put back. The game is set in the 1930s and has various puzzles throughout the narrative. Given that the mechanics are fairly simple and aren't incredibly terrifying, it's a great game for beginning gamers.

14 Amnesia: Rebirth

Amnesia Rebirth holding up a lighter
Amnesia: Rebirth

Platform(s)
PS4 , PC
Released
October 20, 2020
Developer(s)
Frictional Games
Publisher(s)
Frictional Games

Amnesia has been a cult classic and famously popular horror franchise since 2010. Though what made the original game so fascinating has since been lost, Frictional Games still has that knack for creating horror. And while it may not look like it, this is their most cosmic horror game yet.

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Amnesia: Rebirth puts you in the shoes of a woman coming from a plane crash. There is a rich story, intricate puzzles, and scares for days here. There's a game mode called Adventure Mode that will remove the horror aspect of the game so that you can only experience the thrilling narrative, if that's what you prefer.

15 Song of Horror

Song of Horror facing the camera

Song of Horror pays tribute to games like Resident Evil. It's a third-person survival horror experience with a camera that stays still at every corner as you walk by. There are various puzzles, and every choice matters, potentially leading to your death.

The evil monster in this game is barely seen, only heard; when it does come, you must hide behind a door, or you'll instantly die. That's how much of a threat the monster in this game is. Song of Horror is about a missing writer and the horrors that lie within his mansion.

16 Darkwood

Steam Coming Across A Large Decaying Creature in Darkwood

Lovecraft's work has always been characterized as unique, which is why many horror games with similar dark, claustrophobic, and almost lonely styles tend to remind players of Lovecraft. It's why Darkwood is arguably a Lovecraftian horror game, even though it claims no official connection to the author.

Darkwood is a game played entirely from a top-down perspective, and it puts you into a dark world where you can explore a woodland area by day and hide from strange creatures at night. The art and story are practically dripping with Lovecraftian elements.

17 World Of Horror

World Of Horror combat screenshot

The combination of Japanese manga and Lovecraft's work might not immediately sound too logical, but manga artist Junji Ito and Lovecraft created universes too dark for some people to even fathom. This black and white 1-bit horror role-playing game combines these two worlds into one single disturbing game.

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If you've dreamed about living through a Junji Ito manga, this is the game for you. World of Horror starts with a typical Lovecraftian premise of the old ones awakening. Through a decision-based system and turn-based combat, the player must navigate a new, twisted reality.

18 Moons Of Madness

Moons Of Madness astronaut reaching for tentacles

Most of Lovecraft's work is based in the 1920s, but who says the old ones and their terrors can't be experienced in a modern-day setting? Moons of Madness is one of the most promising and high-quality Lovecraftian horror games currently out there, with a neat sci-fi twist for players who love a futuristic setting.

When Shane Newehart begins to experience strange things while working at a Mars research facility, and his crew seems to have gone missing, it becomes evident that something sinister is onboard the station. Not only does the game look gorgeous, but it's also guaranteed to give anyone the chills.

19 Call Of Cthulhu

Call Of Cthulhu Game guy with mutated face

Every Lovecraft fan should absolutely know this highly underappreciated game, Call of Cthulhu, first released in 2018. After Dark Corners of the Earth, it's the truest rendition of Lovecraft's universe in game form, available for both PlayStation 4 and PC. And it certainly doesn't disappoint.

Depressed and troubled private investigator Edward Pierce is tasked with heading out to investigate the case of a dead family on the mysterious and secluded Darkwater Island, where he finds a connection to something supernatural. This game has everything Lovecraftian: a tortured main character at the brink of insanity, RPG skill trees inspired by the original Call of Cthulhu pen-and-paper game, chilling monsters, and references to works like 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' and 'Pickman's Model.'

20 The Land Of Pain

The Land Of Pain open cage

Players familiar with the pen-and-paper Call of Cthulhu RPG will appreciate games like The Land of Pain, which are definitely indie games but absolutely worth the hype. While exploring a gorgeous world, the main character must survive and find out what's going on after strange events transpire in the woods.

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The game is heavily puzzle and exploration-based, and there's no combat involved. You must simply survive to defeat whatever evil is chasing after them. There are many references to Lovecraft's universe, namely a reference to the old gods, which would mean the old ones in Lovecraft's works. Although some game mechanics might be a bit wonky, it's a beautiful game with a massive world and compelling story.