Psychological horror Stealth horror Horror escape

DARQ: Complete Edition

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Walk on the walls of a nightmare you cannot wake from, and keep out of sight.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (94% of 4,197 reviews); OpenCritic average 76 from 24 critics
Players: 1
Controls: Keyboard and mouse or a controller.
Made by: Unfold Games
Released: 2019

Get it on Steam PlayStation Store (PS4, PS5)Xbox Nintendo Switch Publisher's page

What frightens Lloyd, a boy who knows he is dreaming, is trapped in a grey, mechanical nightmare of skeletal statues, cages and humming machines; faceless creatures stronger than him roam its rooms, and he must sneak past them, holding still in the dark, because being seen means being caught.
Content: some violence, disturbing imagery.

DARQ is a side-view psychological horror puzzle game about Lloyd, a boy caught in a lucid nightmare. He walks on walls and ceilings, turns rooms around and sneaks past creatures he cannot fight while he looks for a way to wake up.

About DARQ: Complete Edition

DARQ was made by Unfold Games, an independent studio in Los Angeles founded by the former film composer Wlad Marhulets, and came out on PC in August 2019. The Complete Edition adds two extra chapters, The Tower and The Crypt, and reached PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in December 2020, then Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in March 2021. Feardemic publishes the console versions.

Lloyd realises he is dreaming, and the dream turns bad. Every attempt to wake up fails, so he explores the darkest corners of his own mind, a world of grey corridors, gears, cages and strange statues, to work out what it means. There is no dialogue; the story is told through places and objects.

You move him through rooms seen from the side. He can walk up walls and onto ceilings, which turns the room with him, and he can shift parts of the dream: moving things, rotating rooms, and carrying and using items he finds. The puzzles are built from these rules. When creatures are near he must hide, wait and slip past, since any open fight is lost.

The horror is quiet and slow: a creepy mood and sound design by Bjørn Jacobsen, rather than gore. It suits players who liked Little Nightmares or Limbo and want something stranger and more puzzle-led.

How to play DARQ: Complete Edition

Buy DARQ on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox or Switch and start the main story.
Move Lloyd through each room and look for objects you can carry or use.
Walk onto walls and ceilings to turn the room and reach new paths.
Rotate and shift parts of the dream to solve each puzzle.
When a creature is near, stay in the dark, wait for your chance and sneak past.
Play The Tower and The Crypt chapters afterwards for more puzzles.

Screenshots

DARQ key art: a pale, upside-down face with closed eyes inside an ornate mechanical frame

DARQ screenshot: a dim hall of carved skeletons and bones with a glowing puzzle panel on the wall

DARQ screenshot: Lloyd under a hanging bulb before shelves of strange heads and dolls, a lit wire running across the wall

DARQ screenshot: Lloyd walking along a slanted wall beside huge gears and machinery

DARQ screenshot: Lloyd peers into a round porthole of a large machine in a foggy room

Tips

Watch enemy movement before you move; most are dangerous only if they notice you.
Try walking on every wall: many solutions come from turning the room.
Listen closely, since the sound often tells you where something is coming from.
Look for hidden secrets if you want more, they are optional.

Questions

Is DARQ scary?

It is psychological horror that relies on a slow build and creepy atmosphere rather than gore or jump scares.

What does the Complete Edition include?

The base game plus the two extra chapters, The Tower and The Crypt.

Can you fight in DARQ?

No. Lloyd cannot win against the creatures, so he avoids them with stealth and puzzles.

What platforms is DARQ on?

PC (Steam, Windows), PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, where it is now sold in a newer edition that adds a digital graphic novel.