Games where you are evil incarnate

It is becoming increasingly common for games to embrace a morality system. With a lot of player agency and decision-making, after all, usually come opportunities to protect and help NPCs, or harm them. The rewards and consequences for these choices will, of course, depend on the game. Sometimes the rest of the world starts to shun or hate you if you make 'bad' decisions. It depends on what you do, of course.

Some great titles let you be the hero or the villain, but in some cases, there's no room for morality. In some titles your only choice is pure evil, or even pure evil. If you want a break from playing the hero in games, here are some titles that are all about being as badass as possible. There really is no other way to play.

6

Dungeon Keeper

Make the entire region your evil empire

Most video game villains at least try to legitimize their actions. They will say that they have to do such-and-such to achieve their goals, rather than that they take any pleasure in it. Inside the keeper Dungeon Keeper It does not try. He is pure evil, through and through, disgusted by the lovely, happy and innocent world that the game is set in and determined to destroy region by region. He's the Grinch, essentially, without the redemption arc.

Dungeon Keeper A top-down strategy classic from Bullfrog Productions. The objective is to build an underground base (a dungeon), build rooms to lure various evil creatures and feed and pay them, and then lay waste to your enemies. The defenders of each area are your typical fantasy knights, dwarves, wizards, and thieves, and they'll fight your way to a fragile glass-looking structure in the center of your dungeon known as the Dungeon Heart. If it is destroyed, you are banished from the land and the game is over.

We don't actually see the keeper himself through the game. We play directly as him, though, from the hands of evil, picking up and dropping minions to move them around the map. Not to mention casting terrifying spells on enemy heroes. Both the delightfully wicked tool-tips that arrive in levels and voice-overs during the stage's final score round-up also revel in the destruction you bring. It's not the scariest horror game, but its atmosphere is palpable.

5

Dead in daylight

Let's play a game

Behavior Interactive's long-running asymmetric multiplayer title embraces many horror movie icons. Mortal Kombat series (and indeed much of the same) since its inception. Among the game's wide cast of assassins, there are some tragic figures, some who are victims themselves in their own way, and some who could be argued to be pure evil just for the sake of it. Ghost Face and Skull Merchant are examples of that, as is the monstrous (great fun) Vecna.

Whichever assassin lurks in a given game, their goal is the same: to find a group of survivors who just want to escape. It's a brutal title starring both classic villains from popular culture and new ones created for the game. Each has their own awesome backstory and, of course, awesome animations for their attacks and abilities. It's survival horror with a fascinating twist, but it's not just simple bloody action for its own sake either: with nearly 300 different features to customize characters and a completely different experience playing as a survivor, there's plenty of strategy to learn. It's a title that's more layered than newcomers might expect, and it takes a while to get into. It's a blast to play, though, which helps explain why it's still so popular.

4

Overlord 2

Power at no serious cost

Overlord 2 is very strong Dungeon Keeper Really vibes, but tells its story from a different perspective. This, too, is an evil journey to claim entire territories by force, supported by evil minions who are just as eager for carnage as you. Triumph Studios' take on the concept, however, throws you directly into the action as an overlord, an action RPG with a wicked sense of humor and no choice for a 'good' or moral playthrough.

The now grown Overlord (the son of the previous Overlord) only wants power, and sets out to claim the land of a glorious empire for himself. As well as anything else he encounters along the way. The act is reminiscent of a form of abuse Pikmin The title, sees the Overlord use the talents of a small group of gathered followers to help him triumph in battle as he travels. Sending dozens of minions of various types (mounted for added effectiveness in combat) at your enemies is truly a terrifying sight to behold.

In doing so, the player must decide the fate of the vanquished: they can either cut a swath of pure destruction across the world (as a keeper. Dungeon Keeper did) or allow the victims to live but force them to work for the cause. The game calls these two paths Destruction and Dominion, and there are advantages to following them. For example, actually allowing some NPCs to survive will make the upgrade paths a bit faster, as they will supply you with some of the resources you need. Paths also change the way the game ends and the Overlord evolves, as certain abilities and unlocks change. Either way, though, you're making the world more miserable than it was before your invasion, which is what being an overlord is all about.

3

Shadow of the Forbidden Gods

Many horrible ways to destroy humanity

In many of the titles we've seen so far, victory is achieved simply by building up your armies and defeating your enemies in battle. It is certainly a way to crush all before you, but Shadow of the Forbidden Gods Takes a more cerebral, like horror, Lovecraftian approach. Bobby Two Hands' strategy title is a dark and twisted affair in which the player selects a Dark Elder God to play before using his unique abilities to end humanity. You can consume the world or use it as a stepping stone to harvest power from the inhabitants, but what matters is that the ultimate goal is absolute destruction and the rise of a new omnipotent being.

You're not unopposed in your efforts, of course, so the campaign is about expanding your malevolent influence and making sure that human resistance isn't powerful enough to stop you. This can be achieved through traditional force, manipulating your mind into what the game calls insanity, spreading shadows and making people surrender to despair and more. Each option is as terrifying as the next, and cosmic horror enthusiasts will lap it all up. The best part is that each of the game's playable gods offer distinctly different playstyles and lean to varying degrees on the game's various resources. For example, the tree-like deity Vinerva has an insidious playstyle that involves bestowing unique natural 'gifts' on her enemies, giving them an initial bonus that eventually leads to severe weaknesses from within that she can exploit.

When you find a god for your playstyle, it's a blast to build something huge and destructive, as you send your nefarious minions around the world map, furthering their end and weakening the human alliance.

2

V Rising

Quench your thirst

There aren't many creatures that inspire fear and danger in folklore like vampires. Like zombies, they're usually associated with feeding on people, and that means they can't be our friends. This is certainly true V RisingIn which the protagonist is a vampire tasked with surviving in a hostile world. That means building a fort, avoiding that pesky sun, and, inevitably, making sure you're covered in blood from the various unfortunate NPCs you encounter.

Vampires have had a hard time with their near extermination and the resulting hundreds of years of exile upon the rise of the Church of Luminance. It stands to reason, then, that when a mysterious call from the void resurrected them, they would be a little disaffected with humanity. It's possible to be completely monstrous in this title, destroying the settlements they've built as a result and farming them (quite literally) in search of different types of blood that empower you in different ways. The top-down perspective, macabre gothic themes and action RPG combat are very memorable. DiabloAnd you get to do a lot of scary things here yourself.

1

Evil Lords

A demonic roguelite

Many titles will have the player take on the role of Van Helsing against hordes of villains. That would be too traditional, though, so Nacon-published Evil Lords Flips the script. It's a world where the forces of good, led by Dracula—Ben Van Helsing—have wiped out the villains, and it's no fun. Playing as Satan, you are here to bring back that darkness.

Combat is a turn-based affair, in which you must effectively combine the abilities of your villains (the aforementioned Dracula being one of them) for victory. Satan prefers to play side tricks and cheat to win rather than contributing directly. Another interesting thing is that you control your party members directly as they move from location to location between battles, rather than following a course on a map screen in a genre entry like Slay the Spire. You'll encounter all sorts of pesky creatures as you do so, all towards the ultimate goal of destroying Van Helsing and his good defenders. Still, it's good to withdraw and completely destroy the world's hopes and dreams from time to time.