One of the most popular games on Steam right now is yet to be released: it’s a free demo of a classic-style RPG reminiscent of some of the Dungeons & Dragons-style first-person adventures from the mid-1990s. Darker combines that old-school sensibility with the mining loot of Escape from Tarkov, and the demo is a certified hit on Steam.
The Dark and Darker free demo is available as part of Steam Next Fest, so you can play it right now. Developer Ironmace describes it as “a fantastical, non-stop FPS dungeon PvPvE adventure”, which hits on many key points. Here you will dive into the depths of an ancient citadel, alone or in a group, in search of priceless treasures to sell to the merchants of the tavern.
However, you won’t be the only one looking. Other adventurers will also be on the hunt, and all will have to face deadly traps and ferocious monsters that inhabit the labyrinthine caverns and crypts of the citadel.
In my opinion, it looks like a modern take on old Ultima Underworld games produced by Looking Glass Studios as Blue Sky Productions. These games inspired greats like Deus Ex, BioShock, and The Elder Scrolls series, and they remain a valuable source of inspiration today.
Your adventures in the citadel are time-limited: eventually, a hideous swarm of darkness will expand to fill the entire dungeon, and if you get caught, that’s it: all the loot you found is gone, presumably left to someone else. part too adventurous to discover.
Since launching the Dark and Darker demo on Steam, it has peaked at over 100,000 concurrent players per day, placing it in the top 10 most played games on Steam alongside Dota 2 and Hogwart’s Legacy.
We’ve got more of the best PC co-op games if you’re looking for something to play with your friends this weekend.