Summary
While feelings of isolation, loneliness, and overall cosmic dread are quite popular in the works of Lovecraft, sometimes it’s nice to experience such existential terror with a couple of friends (or strangers). After all, Ammi wasn’t alone during the climax ofColor Out of Space.
Plenty of titles have done a fantastic job of translatingLovecraft’s mythosinto the medium of video games, whether directly lifting from his stories or just incorporating a few elements here and there. While not as many of these games offerco-op or multiplayer, there are still quite a few hidden gems that allow gamers to look cosmic horrors in the face in a group setting while trying to come out on top.
Remnant 2is perfect for groups looking for a real challenge. Like most soulslikes,Remnant 2is very difficult, and the game’s bread and butter lies in being able to play through it multiple times with new builds and strategies. It’s also one of those games that’s just so much morefun with a couple of friends.
The Lovecraft references are a bit more direct inRemnant: From the Ashes(the Ent literally looks like Cthulhu), butRemnant 2still does a great job of making players feel as though they’re taking on eldritch gods with shotguns and dogs.
Cthulhu’s Reachis a small indie game with a lot of heart. It was practically made for fans of the Cthulhu mythos, as the name implies. Basically,Cthulhu’s Reachfeels like playing a LovecraftianDiablogame.
Multiplayer works very well inCthulhu’s Reach, and friendly fire can even be turned on for extra chaos. TheLovecraftian inspiration is very prominentin this title, and fans of eldritch horror and classic dungeon crawlers/roguelikes will not be disappointed with what it brings to the table.
Don’t Starve Togetheris the gold standard when it comes to open world survival games. Thecreepy 2D art styleis a huge selling point, and the whole atmosphere of the game feels very bleak and unforgiving (similar to Lovecraft). There are also plenty of indirect (rot spreading through plants) and direct (a character that looks much like H.P. Lovecraft himself) references to the Lovecraft mythos inDon’t Starve Together.
Don’t Starve Togetheris one of the harder co-op survival games. Everything about the game feels very punishing, and there’s usually a hefty sense of vulnerability and urgency, especially at the beginning of a run. There’s nothing quite like cooking any wild berries that happen to be found just to survive the next night. However, players can eventually find creature comforts and live pretty comfortable lives in the creepy world ofDon’t Starve, relatively speaking, of course.
We Need To Go Deeperis a co-op roguelike that requires a ton of teamwork and even more trial and error in order to finally succeed. Players take control of a submarine and venture as deep into the ocean as they can manage before perishing. Lovecraft fans know better than anyone else what horrors can lie in the ocean, and inWe Need To Go Deeper, players are bound to meet a couple of monstrous eldritch beings while they venture into the unknown.
We Need To Go Deeperis best played with a couple of friends, since players have to manually control every portion of the submarine, from its steering to its guns. This is fine, though, since it’s one of thebest Lovecraftian games on the Nintendo Switchand PC, so most groups will have at least one system to play on. Runs are quite unforgiving, though, so players must be prepared to float to the top before they can sink to the bottom.
Once Humanisa survival MMORPG, with some added PvP depending on the server, that almost feels like7 Days To Diebut with a more MMO feel (and instead of zombies, players take on Siren Head and Eldritch Unity Beasts with machine gun arms). The Lovecraftian inspiration is very prominent, and the most alluring aspect ofOnce Humancan be seen in its monster design. From gigantic buses crawling on six legs to hivemind creatures all chanting and crying at once while they attempt to gun everything in sight down,Once Humanhits a primal creep factor that no other MMO has attempted.
Once Humanis a great game to play with friends, and MMO fans will feel right at home from the beginning.Farming XP as a new player, defeating dungeons and bosses, and building bases are all part of theOnce Humanexperience; there’s just some creepypasta elements and Lovecraftian monsters sprinkled into the mix.
Bloodbornedoes a fantastic job ofcapturing the atmosphere of isolationand cosmic horror that Lovecraft is known for. Not to mention, players are quite literally pitted against eldritch monsters. The main difference betweenBloodborneand the works of Lovecraft is that players can actually fight the horrors inBloodborne, although doing so is easier said than done.
Bloodbornedoes an excellent job of creating a vague world where everything just feels off. It’s almost like stepping into Innsmouth for the first time and receiving the side eye from everyone in town. Co-op offsets a bit of the isolation, but it still maintains the overall atmosphere. Overall,Bloodborneoffers a truly remarkable Lovecraftian experience that is incredibly hard to forget.
