Let's face it: everyone has a bit of an evil side to them. Thankfully, video games have provided gamers with an avenue to let out all of their little aggressions throughout the day, evolving past the days of 'play as the hero as you attempt to defeat evil and save the day' and letting you experience the other side.

Some of the most enticing and interesting story options tend to lean towards evil (and aren’t usually canon in their respective series, unfortunately), allowing you to experience a different perspective and role. In a way, playing as the 'bad guy' every once in a while can be fun and refreshing.

Updated November 8, 2023 by Jack Pierik: Some games, like Fallout or Fable, go out of their way to explicitly and objectively let you know if your actions were damaging or evil. Other games, on the contrary, let you explore and interact with the world laid out before you according to your own moral compass. If you don't want to be led by the hand down a largely predetermined path of what a game's writers consider morally righteous, the three RPGs added in this update will certainly satisfy that desire. You did, after all, go searching for the darkness within on your own accord, did you not?

18 Elden Ring

While you wouldn't initially expect it in a world where the majority of creatures and humanoids you encounter are hostile, Elden Ring does give you the power to change that world, for better or worse through multiple possible endings.

While it does require you to get nosy and poke your head around places you frankly probably shouldn't be, you can discover hidden, vengeful forces deep underground that can shift the fate of the world towards total, unending chaos. Sometimes, you just want to see the world burn.

17 Baldur's Gate 3

Odds are, you probably expected Baldur's Gate 3 to show up at some point. While there are pretty clear-cut decisions to make and factions to side with that make it easy to tell if you're going down a path of good or evil, the beauty of BG3 is its granularity, depth, and ethical muddiness.

Going through the game isn't just a binary clash of good versus evil; it's multiple, complete spectrums of morality that, depending on who you interact and side with, change because everyone has different ideas on what the 'best' course of action is.

In a way, it would be impossible to be the 'perfect' hero anyway, as there is bound to be at least one person or group that is dissatisfied with, or outright rejects your methods and intentions. Perhaps fate and destiny could be the justifications for your evil playthrough?

16 Dishonored 2

While you're largely given the 'boots on the ground' perspective as you stick to the shadows and assassinate your enemies, Dishonored 2 makes a point to keep track of all the bloodshed and carnage you're inflicting.

You see, being evil in this game is simple: just continue doing your job. While you continue your righteous crusade against the Crown Killer, who has been framing you and the monarchy you're protecting, life on the ground for everyday people in Serkonos will continue to destabilize as the bodies pile up.

15 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is arguably the greatest CRPG of the modern generation, and one of the best role-playing games ever made. The game is full to the brim with content and will keep you occupied for hundreds of hours, especially given how unique the game becomes if you decide to control a character who has a different race, gender, class, personality, and everything else along the same lines.

While there isn't a moral compass in Divinity: Original Sin 2 that judges everything you do, there's no denying that the player character can commit some truly heinous actions throughout the course of the game if you wish. Given the impressive role-playing capabilities of this title, even an evil playthrough becomes wildly entertaining as a result.

14 Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that is experiencing a much-deserved second resurgence. The story of V and Johnny is a tantalizing one, and you will definitely experience a wide range of emotions after going through one of several endings.

While Cyberpunk 2077 might not be an out-and-out role-playing experience, there are still many morally bankrupt decisions that V can make throughout his journey. You can refuse to help comrades out, talk down to people, or just murder people indiscriminately without caring about the consequences. Just don't be surprised if your reward for being the worst version of V is the bad ending.

13 Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins is the game that arguably made BioWare one of the biggest video game studios around at the time, with the subsequent launch of Mass Effect further bolstering its reputation. The game places you in the shoes of an average joe across a multitude of races and backgrounds who becomes a Gray Warden after their unique origin story comes to an end.

Dragon Age: Origins has a pretty compelling story where you can make some major decisions to shake things up quite a bit. The evil path can definitely be explored if you constantly take one morally dubious decision after another — although don't expect your comrades to be okay with their leader being so morally corrupt throughout the game.

12 Fallout 3

In reality, just about any Fallout game could have made this list, but Fallout 3 is a contender for the best game in the series. You can walk a path of pure evil, much like every other Fallout game. However, Fallout 3 sticks out with its notably bleaker setup and having one of the first big decisions of the game involve setting off a nuke to explode, destroying an entire town. There’s evil... and then there’s nuclear evil.

Unfortunately, being evil in Fallout 3 doesn't really play well into the main story. That said, being evil is still a lot of fun, and it really allows you a lot of freedom to commit atrocities like enslaving populations, and betraying everyone you come across.

11 Fable

All three Fable games have their pros and cons, but 2004's original might be the best in the series. It made a lot of waves because of how much freedom it gave you, allowing you to choose between a good and evil path. The choice to be evil alters the main character's appearance and turns him into a demonic being with horns.

Fable's alignment system has no real consequences, and it's been outdone by other more modern games, but the lack of any real penalties for being evil is what makes it so darn fun. You can flirt and drink away, all the while saving the world at the same time. It's a more light-hearted, fun version of evil than what is found in other games, but Fable is so much fun that it's hard to complain about.

10 Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is a game that forces you to constantly ride the line between good and evil to survive. You'll need to manage your blood consumption and choose just how evil to be in order to balance your character. Because of this balancing act, and the need to survive as a vampire, the game relishes in evil.

It is almost more difficult to remain good in this game because the evil side involves playing a classic vampire and sucking unsuspecting victims dry. Despite the many bugs present in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, there is no game that is so unapologetically vampiric. That alone makes it one evil experience worth delving into.

9 Planescape Torment

Way back in the tail end of the '90s, Black Isle Studios was cooking up one of the greatest RPGs ever made... and one of the most sinister. This Dungeons & Dragons game ditches the heroes and bright landscapes in favor of an environment more reminiscent of the underworld. Because of Planescape: Torment's philosophical themes and immersive story, the brand of evil this game presents is enough to turn most players' stomachs and send them crawling back into the role of being a goody-two-shoes.

Planescape: Torment also presents multiple kinds of evil — such as lawful evil where you do exactly what you say you are going to do instead of being unpredictable. The complexity of the morality system and writing make Planescape a timeless classic, even with combat that feels quite dated by today's standards.

8 Mass Effect Trilogy

Mass Effect took the idea of choices impacting the entire universe and weaved a complex yet malleable plot into a trilogy of three gigantic games. There are many Renegade decisions that can make Commander Shepherd look like less of a hero and more like a galaxy-jumping menace.

All of your choices come to a head in Mass Effect 3, which features different endings based on the decisions you made. If you walk the path of the renegade, you can change the known galaxy forever, which is quite terrifying in itself. However, it's the journey to get there and how your decisions impact the characters and world around Shepherd that makes this such a fascinating series.

7 The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds took a lot of what made the Fallout games great and added in a lot of quirkiness, more fleshed-out characters, and a retro-style space opera theme that you won’t soon forget. Unlike a lot of open-world games, every NPC in Outer Worlds is killable — even the quest givers.

You can belittle allies, ruin businesses, and be a total galactic bully. The consequences might be wandering the galaxy alone and missing out on a lot of the side quests (which are worth doing), but what does that matter to an evil space traveler out to screw over the galaxy?

6 Skyrim

While not having much of a dedicated morality system to speak of, Skyrim has many evil decisions to choose from. You need to choose who to form allegiances with, as well as make decisions that might cause people to scorn the main character. Skyrim also features some violent quests that open the void for all sorts of evil deeds. One of the most satisfying evil options is to watch the government crumble as you gain more Dragonborn power.

Due to the immense amount of freedom that Skyrim gives you, many of the evil choices can come from your own headcanon. For instance, you can neglect certain missions because of their potential impact on your goals. This is based solely on what you believe to be true, which is a testament to how vast and complex the game is.

5 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

In The Witcher 3, you are required to make a lot of morally-gray decisions that have negative consequences. Neglecting certain quests and people, letting terrible things happen when you are fully aware of the consequences, and needing to juggle the lives of different people just scratch the surface. Although Geralt isn't in a position of real power, he has a heavy hand in how the future and its many inhabitants end up, including whether some powerful people live or die.

It isn't always clear what decisions will lead to good or bad results, making Geralt likable, even when his decisions lead to devastating results. This might be the most potent form of evil since you will be plagued by trying to do the right thing and watching things go awry.

4 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) puts you in the classic good-versus-evil struggle of the Jedi and the Sith. You need to suss out your role between the light and dark sides of the force. There are many paths to choose from, and many of those choices can be based on choices that would make even Emperor Palpatine blush.

KOTOR was one of the first times players got to play an active role in choosing sides in an iconic series that was already well-established. It gave long-time Star Wars fans the chance to live out their childhood fantasies... or betray them. It also helps a lot that KOTOR is a polished game from top to bottom.

3 Undertale

Undertale is really in a class of its own, not resembling any other game in history. In fact, it takes what players usually do in RPGs (kill everything they come across) and turns that into an evil path (known as a genocide run). Alternatively, you can spare enemies or kill some and spare others.

Undertale doesn't truly end after one playthrough either: those who play the game back-to-back with different playstyles will become privy to unique dialogue based on their choices and playstyle changes. Undertale aims to ask a lot of questions about video game morality and the idea of attempting evil playthroughs just for the sake of entertainment, and for that reason, Undertale leaves so much for you to chew on long after the credits roll.

2 Tyranny

Unlike a lot of other RPGs that offer you the option to be evil, Obsidian Entertainment's Tyranny lays it out flat: evil has already won. You are tasked with working for an evil empire, essentially as a grand version of a PR representative. The choice to control the population by stoking fear or trying to gain their trust is up to you.

Your choices directly impact both the plot and the skills the characters gain in combat, which is also mighty fun. Tyranny feels like a fresh game, defying all tropes and finally letting you loose in a world where morality and goodness try to eke out an existence in a world truly designed for evil to flourish in a more realistic manner. For those who want to delve deep into the morality of existing in a world that is already corrupt and evil to the core, Tyranny is the game.

1 Evil Genius 2

Evil Genius 2 is more of a simulator/management style game, but there are RPG elements in how you upgrade bases and minions, as well as in the storylines you follow. Evil Genius 2 basically takes the most over-the-top villains from classic spy series (Think Blofeld's crew in Bond meeting The Dictator).

You are cast into the role of ordering henchmen around, building bases, and stopping spies in their tracks, all in the hopes of conquering the world with a dastardly doomsday device. Some of the game's features fall flat (like many of the side missions and the convoluted menus), but the good aspects of Evil Genius 2 deliver marvelously. Ordering spandex-clad minions around and luring spies into casinos to sidetrack them is everything you wanted to see in spy movies, except now you're in control.

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