Dark and Darker
Dark and Darker screenshot 1Dark and Darker screenshot 2
ActionRPGFree To PlayDungeon CrawlerMultiplayerLootMedievalExtraction Shooter

2,008 playing

Peak in the last 24 hours: 4,421

Peak in the last 7 days: 5,196

Dark and Darker Early Access Steam store

Game description

An unforgiving hardcore fantasy FPS dungeon PvPvE adventure. Band together with your friends and use your courage, wits, and cunning to uncover mythical treasures, defeat gruesome monsters, while staying one step ahead of the other devious treasure-hunters.

Basic info

DeveloperIRONMACE
PublisherIRONMACE
PlatformsWindows
Steam DeckPlayable
Release dateJun 7, 2024
Price

Minimum specs

OS64-bit Windows 10, 11
Processor3.0 GHz Quad Core CPU
Memory8 GB
GraphicsGeForce GTX 1060 with 3GB of video RAM or Radeon RX 580 with 4GB of video RAM or Intel Ar…
Storage15 GB
steamyze

Review Analysis Score

Based on 345 reviews from the past 1 year

60.1/ 100
Bottom 10%

Steam rating: Mixed (61%)

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 14, 2026)

Tense dungeon runs alone or with friends are fun for 89 reviewers of Dark and Darker, but trust in its updates has slipped; it scores 60.1.

👍 Strengths

89 reviews say it is plain fun, solo or in a group. 29 enjoy playing together, some with family in the newer PvE mode, and 17 praise its strategic depth, with the most upvoted citing diverse class mechanics. A few describe a dark atmosphere and music that create real dread, and some like that it is brutal and every decision matters. Story & World ranks 495th of 1096.

👎 Where it falls short

Tech & Support ranks 1295th of 1399. 51 reviews criticize the developers, some saying they lost direction and wasted goodwill with poor updates. 37 complain about balance, some naming wizard and ranger as overpowered. Pricing & Fairness ranks 1316th of 1399: 27 raise value and pay concerns, some saying new hardware requirements added after purchase locked out paying players. Others mention a steep learning curve with no tutorial, and bans they say came without a clear explanation or appeal. Gameplay ranks 1157th of 1396.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“fun game solo or with friends, pretty damn fun” · 89 reviews
“steep learning curve, no tutorial, hidden mechanical depth confuses new players” · 21 reviews
“dark atmosphere and music create immersive experience of dread” · 11 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 53% of reviews · Bottom 20% of the games we've analyzed

Onboarding -1.91 · How easy it is to learn — tutorials and the first hours
Negative “steep learning curve, no tutorial, hidden mechanical depth confuses new players” · 21 reviews

Progression 20% · Difficulty 19% · Freedom 5% · Strategy 18% · Controls & feel 9%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 14% of reviews · Top 50% of the games we've analyzed

World +3.05 · Lore, atmosphere, and how immersive the setting is
Positive “dark atmosphere and music create immersive experience of dread” · 11 reviews

Story 1% · Characters 0%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 18% of reviews · Bottom 30% of the games we've analyzed

Variety -1.08 · Fresh content and situations versus repetition
Negative “game is kinda boring now without forced PvP mechanic” · 5 reviews
Positive “dungeons are varied, class abilities varied, plenty of game modes” · 3 reviews

Volume 10% · Replayability 2%

Graphics, art style, music and sound

Not enough data — only 7% of reviews mention this.

Audio +2.25 · Music, sound effects, and voice acting

Visuals 5%

Playing with others, the community and servers
Mentioned in 44% of reviews · Bottom 30% of the games we've analyzed

Community -2.44 · Who you play with — how many, and how friendly
Negative “only 9000 players, half-cooked game at end of life” · 12 reviews
Positive “the community of old players is very friendly” · 1 review

Playing together 28% · Servers & Connection 6%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 50% of reviews · Bottom 10% of the games we've analyzed

Balance -0.70 · Whether classes, weapons, and builds are evenly matched
Negative “wizard and ranger vastly overpowered; archer gutted compared to barbarian” · 37 reviews
Positive “potion chugger build is insane for looting” · 2 reviews

Anti-cheat 12% · Pricing 23% · Matchmaking 13%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 43% of reviews · Bottom 10% of the games we've analyzed

Developer support -0.92 · Updates, patches, and how devs respond to players
Negative “developers lost direction, wasted goodwill with poor updates” · 51 reviews
Positive “devs should keep PVE mode open for new players” · 5 reviews

Stability 12% · Performance 9%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

Was this analysis useful? Sign in with Steam to vote

🎲 What kind of gamer are you? Find your title in 3 minutes.