71 games
The best dark fantasy games on Nintendo Switch
Grim worlds full of magic, monsters and moral grey areas: fantasy without the sugar coating.
How to find games that really suit you: Tap “I like it” on up to 5 games. Playalike compares 20 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
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1 Dark Souls
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A merciless action RPG whose interconnected world of Lordran rewards careful exploration with clever shortcuts, deliberate combat and cryptic, melancholic lore. Every death teaches something, and every victory feels truly earned.
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2 Dark Souls: Remastered
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
The genre-defining Soulslike: a bleak, intricately interconnected world of punishing combat, hidden paths and bosses that demand patience and precise timing. The remaster adds sharper visuals and includes the Artorias of the Abyss expansion.
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3 Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A 2.5D soulslike metroidvania set in a grim, hand-painted fantasy world being consumed by Entropy. It stands out with deep class and skill trees, crafting through recruited merchants, and punishing boss fights.
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4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
An open fantasy world with outstanding side quests and choices that have lasting consequences.
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5 Blasphemous II
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim pixel-art Metroidvania where the Penitent One wields three distinct weapons through a world steeped in religious horror. Precise duels, tough bosses and plenty of secrets make exploring rewarding.
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6 Middle-earth: Shadow of War
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
As Talion you roam Mordor, dominating orc captains to build your own army and storm fortresses. The Nemesis System makes enemies remember you, rise in rank, and grow into personal rivals with their own stories.
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7 Darkest Dungeon
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A merciless dungeon RPG where stress and madness are as dangerous as the monsters.
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8 The Last Faith
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A dark, gothic pixel-art Metroidvania that blends Soulslike combat with sprawling interconnected exploration and plenty of weapon and build options. You fight through a decaying world ravaged by plague and a corrupt religion as Eric.
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9 Blasphemous
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A brutal Metroidvania in gorgeous pixel art that twists Spanish Catholic iconography into a nightmarish world of guilt and penance. Tight parries, gory executions and plenty of hidden secrets define the Penitent One's journey.
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10 The Banner Saga
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A bleak Viking saga with gorgeous hand-drawn art, where you lead a caravan through a dying world. Turn-based tactical battles alternate with tough decisions that can cost supplies, morale and even the lives of your companions.
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11 Salt and Sanctuary
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A 2D Soulslike wrapped in Metroidvania design: stamina-driven combat, punishing bosses and a huge skill tree in a grim, interconnected world. Its hand-drawn look and rewarding exploration set it apart.
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12 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
This remaster bundle revives two cult classics starring the undead avenger Raziel, who shifts between the material and spectral realms to solve puzzles and hunt vampires. A gothic, brooding story, exploration and melee combat define the journey through the decaying land of Nosgoth.
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13 Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A melancholic 2D Metroidvania where a young priestess frees fallen knights and uses their spirits as allies in combat. A hauntingly beautiful atmosphere and strong soundtrack carry the exploration of a ruined kingdom.
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14 Darkest Dungeon II
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A punishing turn-based roguelike where you drive a fragile band of heroes across a cursed land by stagecoach. Stress, afflictions and party relationships are as dangerous as the monsters.
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15 Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A new Castlevania Metroidvania set in a burning Paris in 1499, where Trevor Belmont and his daughter Rose wield the Vampire Killer whip against monstrous hordes. It promises gothic horror atmosphere, interconnected exploration and demanding action combat.
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16 Pillars of Eternity
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A love letter to Infinity Engine classics, offering tactical real-time-with-pause party combat, a richly written world built around souls and reincarnation, and a mature, melancholic story. Companions, a stronghold to manage, and meaningful choices make it a deep treat for CRPG fans.
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17 Moonscars
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim 2D Metroidvania with soulslike combat in which you play a warrior shaped from ash exploring a decaying, macabre world. Punishing boss fights and oppressive pixel-art atmosphere define the experience.
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18 The Midnight Walk
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A first-person dark fantasy adventure set in a handcrafted, stop-motion-like world. Alongside the lantern creature Potboy you solve environmental puzzles and evade threats while experiencing five interwoven tales.
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19 Onimusha: Way of the Sword
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
Capcom's revival of Onimusha sends a samurai wielding the Oni Gauntlet through a demon-infested Edo-era Kyoto. Its core is weighty, precise swordplay built around timing-based counters and gory, cinematic presentation.
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20 Agony
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
Agony drops you into a grotesque, brutally graphic Hell as a tormented soul who must sneak, flee and possess demons to survive. Its appeal is its disturbing atmosphere rather than combat depth.
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21 Death's Gambit
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A punishing 2D Soulslike action RPG in Metroidvania clothing: you serve Death, battle towering bosses in a grim world, and build your character through classes and abilities.
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22 Bramble: The Mountain King
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim adventure steeped in Nordic folklore and nightmarish creatures, in which a boy tries to rescue his sister. It blends puzzles, hiding and boss encounters with an oppressive, fairy-tale atmosphere.
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23 Vampyr
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
As a doctor turned vampire in flu-ravaged 1918 London, you choose which citizens to heal and which to feed on for power, and those choices visibly shape the city's districts. Brooding gothic atmosphere and moral dilemmas take centre stage, backed by real-time action combat.
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24 Black Book
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
Black Book blends card-based turn-based battles with an adventure steeped in Slavic folklore. As the young sorceress Vasilisa you face demons and spirits, guided through a dark, story-driven tale set in a haunted village world.
What matters with Dark fantasy games
Dark fantasy works because it takes magic and monsters seriously: worlds are decaying, choices have a cost, and victories feel earned rather than handed out. On Nintendo Switch the list covers a wide range, from punishing action RPGs to story-heavy open worlds and turn-based dungeon crawls, so it pays to know what kind of challenge you want before picking.
The first question is difficulty. Dark Souls: Remastered is the classic pick if you want deliberate, unforgiving combat and an interconnected world where every shortcut you open feels like a small triumph, and it includes the Artorias DLC. If you prefer story over struggle, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt offers morally grey contracts and side quests whose consequences stick with you, and the Hearts of Stone expansion adds one of its best, fairy-tale-dark tales. Pace matters too: Darkest Dungeon is turn-based, so you can think through every move, but stress and madness make each expedition tense.
Art style is the other big divider. Hollow Knight and Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree both use hand-drawn visuals and 2D exploration, with Hollow Knight focused on a secret-filled insect kingdom and Mandragora adding deep skill trees and crafting. For something louder, Darksiders: Warmastered Edition mixes combos with Zelda-style puzzle dungeons and bold comic-book art.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hardest dark fantasy game on Switch?
Dark Souls: Remastered and Darkest Dungeon are the most demanding picks here, one through precise real-time combat and the other through permanent losses and stress management. Hollow Knight and Mandragora also feature punishing boss fights.
Which dark fantasy game on Switch has the best story?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the strongest choice for story, with choices that have lasting consequences, and Hearts of Stone adds a standout tale around Gaunter O'Dimm. Middle-earth: Shadow of War creates personal rivalries through its Nemesis System.
Are there good 2D dark fantasy games on Switch?
Yes, Hollow Knight is a hand-drawn Metroidvania set in a ruined insect kingdom full of secrets. Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree combines 2.5D Metroidvania exploration with soulslike combat and class building.
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