10 Video Games Inspired By H.P. Lovecraft

“No new horror can be more terrible than the daily torture of bad video games,” is something horror writer and nerd culture icon Howard Phillips Lovecraft may well have said had he lived to see the invention of the modern computer. Though he met his bleak end before the Second World War began, he had quite a few morbid ideas concerning the human condition which are still prevalent in media to this day.

His influence has been felt in all artistic realms, but perhaps most prevalently in the world of video gaming. His unique brand of cosmic horror is difficult to convey on anything save for the page, but some developers have managed to accurately translate the essence of his existential, eldritch terror to a digital format to great effect.

There aren’t all that many games based explicitly on the Lovecraftian mythology, but there are plenty of titles out there which seek to capture his signature motif of cosmic dread and the horror of the infinite. It is true that many have misused or misunderstood his ideas in the past—Cthulhu was never meant to be a plushie—but these ten games definitely get it right.

Cyanide Studios seems like a strange choice when it comes to the development of a game based on Lovecraft’s most famous work. Mostly known for their series of annual Pro Cycling Manager games, they hardly seem like a good fit to tackle the genre of cosmic horror.

And yet, 2018’s Call of Cthulhu released to a generally positive reception from gamers eager to step back into Lovecraft’s twisted world. Primarily borrowing elements from stealth titles and walking simulators, the resulting experience feels a bit reminiscent of the old Penumbra games—themselves having more than a causal connection to the Lovecraft mythos.

Though it bears the name of his most famous short story, Call of Cthulhu is more reminiscent of The Shadow Over Innsmouth with a dash of Pickman’s Model thrown in for good measure. What’s more, the game introduces more otherworldly phenomena than just the eponymous creature himself, though he does make a very quick appearance if players chose the very worst ending.

It isn’t a universally lauded game—few in the genre are. However, it’s nice to see titles like this release during a time in which the mainstream video game industry seems to be lacking in creativity.