The game is a side-scrolling gothic role-playing game with a turn-based combat system. The player explores dungeons with a four-hero team. While players can only explore with four heroes, they will be able to recruit and manage around a dozen heroes from the local tavern or caravan. The heroes are recruited from 15 different classes each class with its own unique skills and abilities. Combat occurs in narrow passages which means the party's order is important in respect to the heroes' class and the player's strategy. As an example, a crusader is a good front unit having both high attack and defense values while the plague doctor might be better further behind throwing plague bombs to spread disease and confusion. Instead of leveling, heroes have "resolve" which will increase as they adventure. Fighting and events will test the hero's resolve and they might develop afflictions if they fail their resolve. This can turn out both positively and negatively creating different set of afflictions for every hero. While exploring the dungeons, the light of the heroes torch becomes dimmer, which means the dungeons gets more dangerous but yields better loot as well. The heroes have to camp to replenish the torch in the dungeons. Red Hook refers to this as tactical camping because players have to distribute rations among their heroes, protect the camp from ambushes, and reduce the stress levels of the heroes, all costing actions points

Darkest Dungeon is a challenging gothic roguelike turn-based RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring.

Reclaim Your Ancestor's Estate

Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes through twisted forests, forgotten warrens, ruined crypts, and beyond. You'll battle not only unimaginable foes, but stress, famine, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark. Uncover strange mysteries, and pit the heroes against an array of fearsome monsters with an innovative strategic turn-based combat system.

Core Features

• The Affliction System – battle not only monsters, but stress! Contend with paranoia, masochism, fear, irrationality, and a host of gameplay-meaningful quirks!
  
• Striking hand-drawn gothic crowquill art style
  
• Innovative turn-based combat pits you against a host of diabolical monsters
  
• Narration system to celebrate your successes...and failures
  
• 16 (and counting!) playable hero classes, including Plague Doctor, Hellion, and even the Leper!
  
• Camp to heal wounds or deliver inspiring speeches.
  
• Rest your weary, shell-shocked characters in town at the Tavern or the Abbey to keep their stress in check.
  
• Classic CRPG and roguelike features, including character permadeath, procedural dungeons, and incredible replay

Can you stem the tide of eldritch horrors erupting across your family’s ancestral estate?

Descend at your peril!

Awards and Honors

• PG Gamer: Best RPG of 2016
  
• Game Informer - Best RPGs of 2016: 3 Awards
  
• IGN - Best of 2016: 2 Nominations
  
• IGF 2016 - 3 Nominations
  
• Rock Paper Shotgun - 50 Best RPGs of All Time
  
• PAX 10 - 2015
  
• Game Debate Best Indie Game 2016
  
• SXSW Gamer's Choice Nominee 2015
  
• MMORPG - Best Indie RPG (Pax East 2014), Best RPG Nomination PAX Prime 2014
  
• Indie Megabooth Selection - PAX East 2014, PAX Prime 2015

System: Windows
OS: Windows XP
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: Open GL 3.2+ Compliant
Storage: 2 GB available space
Additional Notes: 1080p, 16:9 recommended

System: Mac
OS: OSX 10.9+
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: Open GL 3.2+ Compliant
Storage: 2 GB available space

System: Linux
OS: Ubuntu 12.04
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: Open GL 3.2+ Compliant
Storage: 2 GB available space
Additional Notes: 1080p, 16:9 recommended

Activation: Go to: http://store.steampowered.com/ and download STEAM client Click "Install Steam" (from the upper right corner) Install and start application, login with your Account name and Password (create one if you don't have). Please follow these instructions to activate a new retail purchase on Steam: Launch Steam and log into your Steam account. Click the Games Menu. Choose Activate a Product on Steam... Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the process. After successful code verification go to the "MY GAMES" tab and start downloading.

Supported Languages:
English