Darkwood

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 88.5, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 25,054 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Dec 28, 2023) · 300 reviews sampled · 8138 total reviews in window · weighted 213 up / 14.6 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →

• 80
  Pure Nintendo

  trust 80Jun 2, 2019

  “Darkwood is a simple but hugely satisfying top-down horror survival game that will have you jumping at shadows.”

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• 80
  Nintendo Life

  trust 76May 17, 2019

  “Darkwood is, thankfully, rather unlike any other horror game on Switch. Those with a taste for survival games will appreciate the constant pressure to salvage parts and craft new items while a clock ticks down in the background, while those with a love for all things sinister will really appreciate some of the truly disturbing moments. Despite the occasional technical flaw, the result is a purposefully slow experience that rewards multiple playthroughs with a storyline that branches depending on just how far into madness you're willing to tread.”

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• 65
  Nindie Spotlight

  trust 70May 16, 2019

  “Survival games tend to not be for the impatient or faint at heart as it is, so when you start one up and it literally tells you that it won’t hold your hand it’s hard not to be a bit nervous...”

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• 70
  Push Square

  trust 69May 14, 2019

  “Darkwood is on the verge of greatness. The terrifying and foreboding atmosphere it manages to create is unmatched in the genre, while the scares themselves are earned and equally alarming. The experience is somewhat held back by gameplay annoyances, but they’re not enough to sway a recommendation.”

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• 70
  NintendoWorldReport

  trust 69May 26, 2019

  “Darkwood is a game with potential, and I certainly hope the developers take any lessons learned from it and return with the killer horror title they’ve come close to creating. ”

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• 90
  Chalgyr's Game Room

  trust 67Oct 3, 2017

  “Darkwood is a brutally atmospheric take on the top-down horror genre. Coming out of Early Access, Acid Wizard Studio's hit title is something of an amazing amalgamation of genres; blending horror with exploration, challenging combat, roguelike-world generations and roleplaying game-like character development, Darkwood is simply put, and awesome title. What shocked me most was that it seemed to be very similar to some of the best board games I have played, not in play style, but in the way it feels. For example, Mansions of Madness, easily one of the best board games ever, leaves you with this dark and foreboding feeling when you are done playing. Darkwood is that, but in video game form, and with rich gameplay and stunning sound design, Darkwood is easily the breakout title of the season.”

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• 88
  Worth Playing

  trust 67Aug 15, 2019

  “With its many surprises, Darkwood is a title with immeasurable depth that will keep horror fans gripped until the very end. An important focus on narrative-driven gameplay kept me hooked and desperate for answers. A horrifying aesthetic with spooky soundscapes plays with our instincts and terrifies the senses. When the title boasted "a horror game without jump-scares", I initially rolled my eyes. Most titles incorporate some kind of jump-scare to get a cheap reaction out of players. Even tastefully done jump-scares feel cheap to me because I'm not actually "scared," I'm just surprised. Darkwood succeeds where many other titles fail. It's a heart-racing experience that any horror fan worth their salt should attempt to survive.”

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• 90
  GameSpot

  trust 66May 14, 2019

  “While Darkwood is an absolute marvel in terms of its aesthetics and gameplay--as well as its disarmingly dissonant score--I experienced several bugs that caused me to lose minor progress. In one case, I was trapped behind a disassembled tractor, which forced me to quit to the main menu and restart the game in order to press onward. On top of this, one of the game's areas caused the frame rate to drop so dramatically that playing became a chore. This was easily rectified, again simply requiring a soft reboot, but these glitches are a disappointing nuisance plaguing an otherwise exceptional game.”

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• 80
  SECTOR.sk

  trust 66Jan 27, 2023

  “The top-down survival horror also appeared on next-gen consoles, and although it doesn't scare that much, it looks well on PS5. But it is a fun journey.”

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• 85
  GameGrin

  trust 65Dec 15, 2017

  “Despite some unsatisfying gameplay systems, Darkwood can provide legitimate thrills and scares for the horror fans that miss the vibes of such classics as Silent Hill 2 and Pathologic without ever using a jump scare. Whether it is the uniquely grotesque art style or the ever-challenging design of its difficulty, Acid Wizard Studio has proven it understands what ingredients make up a good horror experience and the randomised elements of the game allow a unique narrative every time you play.”

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• 80
  TheSixthAxis

  trust 65May 14, 2019

  “Darkwood is one of the most terrifying games I’ve ever played as it challenges you to explore and survive a dark and twisted world. Unravelling the mysteries of the night time horrors will consume you even before you try the permadeath mode. This comes highly recommended, but remember to wear your brown trousers. ”

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• 85
  Rely On Horror

  trust 65Oct 10, 2017

  “Darkwood is an immersive, atmospheric, and haunting experience I can thoroughly recommend.”

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…and 42 more tracked reviews.

1. Update 1.4

   Dec 28, 2023significant · resets scoring window
2. New update coming soon, biggest discount ever!

   Oct 31, 2021
3. Darkwood 1.3 - new languages!

   Aug 7, 2019significant · resets scoring window
4. Darkwood 1.2 - localization update, -30% off!

   Jan 22, 2018
5. Darkwood 1.2 - localization update, -30% off!

   Jan 22, 2018
6. Darkwood 1.1 hotfix 5

   Sep 26, 2017
7. Darkwood 1.1 hotfix 5

   Sep 26, 2017
8. Darkwood 1.1 hotfix 4

   Sep 12, 2017
9. Darkwood 1.1 hotfix 4

   Sep 12, 2017
10. Darkwood 1.1 hotfix 3

    Sep 8, 2017
11. Darkwood 1.1 hotfix 3

    Sep 8, 2017
12. Darkwood 1.1 hotfix 2

    Sep 7, 2017
13. Darkwood 1.1 hotfix 2

    Sep 7, 2017
14. Darkwood 1.1 hotfix 1

    Sep 5, 2017
15. Darkwood 1.1 hotfix 1

    Sep 5, 2017
16. Darkwood 1.1

    Aug 28, 2017
17. Darkwood 1.1

    Aug 28, 2017
18. Hotfix 3

    Aug 23, 2017
19. Hotfix 3

    Aug 23, 2017
20. Hotfix 2

    Aug 21, 2017
21. Hotfix 2

    Aug 21, 2017
22. Hotfix 1!

    Aug 18, 2017
23. Hotfix 1!

    Aug 18, 2017
24. DARKWOOD HAS LAUNCHED!

    Aug 17, 2017
25. Beta 3.1 - ONE WEEK LEFT! [+ hotfix 1]

    Aug 10, 2017
26. Beta 3.1 - ONE WEEK LEFT! [+ hotfix 1]

    Aug 10, 2017significant · resets scoring window
27. Beta 3

    Jul 28, 2017significant · resets scoring window
28. Beta 3

    Jul 28, 2017significant · resets scoring window
29. Beta 2.0 (+ hotfix 1)

    Jun 29, 2017
30. Beta 2.0 (+ hotfix 1)

    Jun 29, 2017significant · resets scoring window
31. Beta 1.1 (+ hotfix 1)

    Jun 7, 2017
32. Beta 1.1 (+ hotfix 1)

    Jun 7, 2017
33. Beta 1.0

    Jun 6, 2017significant · resets scoring window
34. Beta 1.0

    Jun 6, 2017significant · resets scoring window
35. Alpha 10 (+hotfix 4)

    Mar 25, 2017
36. Alpha 10 (+hotfix 4)

    Mar 25, 2017significant · resets scoring window
37. Alpha 9.1

    Jan 5, 2017
38. Alpha 9.1

    Jan 5, 2017
39. Alpha 9.0 (+hotfix 2)

    Dec 21, 2016
40. Alpha 9.0 (+hotfix 2)

    Dec 21, 2016significant · resets scoring window

…and 30 earlier patch announcements.