Summary
- Lovecraft's works inspired games like Shadow of the Comet and Prisoner of Ice, capturing cosmic horror and chilling atmospheres.
- The Well provides a short but deeply unsettling experience based on Lovecraft's lesser-known poems.
- Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth blends survival horror with Lovecraftian themes, immersing players in a nightmare.
H.P. Lovecraft might not have been known for gory imagery, but he was a master at crafting an atmosphere that worms its way under one’s skin, making them question reality itself. Known for his cosmic horror and eldritch nightmares, his works have left a lasting mark on literature and, surprisingly, video games.
Games like Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth and Edge of Nowher e effectively capture the essence of Lovecraftian horror, plunging players into chilling worlds where true horror isn’t in what’s visible, but in the vast unknown. Whether it's uncovering the secrets of a cursed town or facing an alien presence in the icy Antarctic, these games bring the unsettling atmosphere of Lovecraft’s universe to life. Here are some of the best Lovecraftian games that throw players headfirst into psychological terror.
8 Shadow Of The Comet
Set In “The Dunwich Horror” And “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
- Developer: Infogrames
- Platform: MS-DOS, PC-98, Linux
- Released: March 25, 1993
- Mode: Single-player
Set in 1910, players control John Parker, a British photographer visiting the isolated New England town of Illsmouth to witness the passage of Halley's Comet in Shadow of the Comet. The game is mainly based on Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror and The Shadow Over Innsmouth, creating a story of cosmic dread and dark conspiracies. Parker’s mission to document the comet’s passage uncovers a sinister past tied to the town's history, particularly an event from 1834 that drove Lord Boleskine, a previous visitor, into madness. As Parker digs deeper into Boleskine’s notes, it becomes clear that the town hides more than just astronomical wonders.
Shadow of the Comet perfectly combines exploration with puzzle-solving, offering a traditional third-person adventure experience. Players interact with objects, solve puzzles, and engage in a narrative-driven quest while surviving the haunting atmosphere of Illsmouth. Its engaging plot, intriguing puzzles, and ability to build suspense without relying on shock value make it a solid representation of Lovecraft’s dark world.
7 Prisoner Of Ice
A Lovecraftian Adventure Set In Antarctica
Prisoner of Ice
- Released
- January 1, 1995
- Platform(s)
- PC, MS-DOS, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
Prisoner of Ice is a gripping horror game rooted in Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, specifically based on At the Mountains of Madness. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the game follows Lt. Ryan, a U.S. Intelligence officer aboard the British submarine HMS Victoria. Tasked with a mysterious mission in Antarctica, Ryan uncovers an ancient secret linked to the Nazis, including crates stolen from a secret base. The game's story also intertwines with Shadow of the Comet, another Lovecraft-inspired title, as Ryan encounters the protagonist of that game, revealing strange connections between the two.
In terms of gameplay, the game is a point-and-click adventure where players must solve puzzles by interacting with various items within the environment. Timed challenges add a layer of urgency, and failing to solve them within the given time results in a game over. Though the puzzle-solving mechanics can be compelling, the game’s atmosphere stands out. Players are instantly immersed in a world of chilling suspense and eerie visuals, creating a haunting mood. So, for those craving a petrifying Lovecraftian narrative, this game delivers.
6 The Well
A Short Game Based On “Fungi From Yuggoth”
- Developer: Yames
- Platform: Microsoft Windows and macOS
- Released: 20 September 2021
- Mode: Single-player
The Well might only last twenty minutes, but it lingers in the player’s mind somehow due to its remarkably unsettling nature. This hair-raising indie title is based on one of Lovecraft’s lesser-known poems in "Fungi from Yuggoth," and turns a few dark verses into a tightly packed psychological descent. Players find themselves in the middle of a grim cleanup job at the Atwood farmhouse, where things have already gone spectacularly off the rails. A deranged farmer, an even more disturbed nephew, a bricked-up corpse, and whispered legends of pagan gold set the tone.
Players interact with the game through a single button, hoisting and lowering a rope into the black unknown, slowly unearthing tokens of horror that build up to a monstrous, lurking presence deep below. And despite its bite-sized runtime, the game sinks its teeth in quickly. The retro visuals and sound design dial up the dread without resorting to cheap tricks, letting the imagination do most of the panicking. So, for a title and gameplay this minimalist, it manages to be both deeply unnerving and oddly engaging.
5 Call Of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land
A Tactical RPG Based On “Call Of Cthulhu” And A Novella
Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land
- Released
- January 30, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Engine
- Basic Roleplaying
- Genre(s)
- Action, Indie Games, Tactical, Adventure, Strategy
- Platform(s)
- PC
- How Long To Beat
- 30 hours
Set in the bloody trenches of World War I, this turn-based strategy RPG fuses historical warfare with cosmic dread. Based on Lovecraft’s Call of Cthulhu and also his novella, Herbert West–Reanimator, the game puts players into a secret war waged beneath the real one. As Professor Brightmeer and Captain Hill follow whispers of occult activity across the Western Front, they uncover a chilling plot led by the sinister Docktor Kaul. Using arcane magic and stolen science from Herbert West, Kaul's cult is reanimating the dead and trying to summon a Star Spawn to wipe out humanity.
Gameplay combines grid-based tactical combat with RPG elements, placing players in command of a squad fighting both German soldiers and grotesque Mythos horrors like Dark Young and hybrid monsters. The mission culminates in a desperate battle to stop an apocalyptic ritual; one final, brain-bending showdown to save what’s left of the human race. In short, it's a bleak blend of tactics and terror that brings Lovecraft’s madness to the battlefield.
4 Anchorhead
A Classic Based On “The Thing On The Doorstep”
Anchorhead
- Released
- January 1, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Engine
- unreal engine
- Genre(s)
- Interactive Narrative, Indie Games, Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows
- How Long To Beat
- 38 hours
A cult classic from the bygone days of text-based adventures, Anchorhead is based on Lovecraft’s The Thing on the Doorstep, throwing players into a cursed coastal town where unspeakable rituals, ancestral madness, and ancient horrors are very much alive. The story follows a woman who moves to the town of Anchorhead with her husband, only to uncover a dark family legacy involving body-snatching spirits and cosmic deities bent on devouring reality. As the mystery unfolds over three days, players must explore, investigate, and solve layered puzzles to stop a ritual that threatens the world.
Though the interface sticks to simple black-and-white illustrations and text, the game doesn’t hold back on atmosphere or depth. Its complex lore, immersive writing, and eerie setting have kept it alive in fan circles for decades like a novel one can actually play. That alone makes it one of the finest interactive fiction games ever made, and a perfect homage to Lovecraft’s creeping brand of horror.
3 Edge Of Nowhere
A VR Game Inspired By “At The Mountains Of Madness”
Edge of Nowhere
- Released
- June 6, 2016
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Publisher(s)
- Oculus, Insomniac Games
- Engine
- Insomniac Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows
- How Long To Beat
- 4 hours
Edge of Nowhere draws directly from H. P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, throwing players into a nightmarish Antarctic expedition gone terribly wrong. The story follows Victor Howard, who sets off to rescue his missing fiancée’s research team, only to stumble into a frozen abyss filled with grotesque creatures and ancient alien ruins. It’s third-person gameplay wrapped in a first-person nightmare, thanks to the immersive grip of virtual reality.
The game leans hard into scale; small man, colossal horrors. The climbing sections and precarious heights ramp up the tension, while sanity mechanics blur the line between reality and delusion. One moment it’s a monstrous entity, the next it might be in Victor’s head. That uncertainty is the real monster here. Though the controls occasionally frustrate, especially in combat-heavy segments, the game nails atmosphere. The sense of dread is constant, and VR amplifies every hallucination and shadow, offering a disorienting plunge into Lovecraftian terror that’s as much psychological as it is physical.
2 Conarium
A Chilling Game Based On “At The Mountains Of Madness”
Conarium
- Released
- June 7, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Taking place in the icy desolation of Antarctica, Conarium takes its cue from At the Mountains of Madness and drops players into a reality-warping mystery soaked in cosmic dread. It revolves around Frank Gilman, a scientist who wakes up alone in a frozen research facility with no memory and a strange pulsating device by his side. The rest of his team has vanished, the base is unnervingly silent, and something ancient stirs beneath the surface—literally and metaphorically.
As Frank explores the snowbound ruins and dives deeper into cryptic visions, players piece together the aftermath of an experiment designed to stretch the boundaries of human consciousness. The first-person adventure is heavy on exploration, puzzle-solving, and environmental storytelling, with scattered notes and journals slowly revealing a chilling narrative. The best aspect of Conarium is that it doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares, instead building a moody, surreal world that feels authentically Lovecraftian. Though some found it lacking in ambition, Conarium stays true to the source material’s dark tone and delivers a haunting descent into madness.
1 Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth
A Gritty Survival Horror Based On “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
- Released
- March 24, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M 17+
- Developer(s)
- Headfirst Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
- Engine
- Gamebryo
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Stealth
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox (Original)
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is based heavily on H. P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth and also borrows themes from The Shadow Out of Time and the Call of Cthulhu tabletop game. Set in 1922, the game follows Jack Walters, a troubled private investigator who gets tangled in the creepy web of Innsmouth, a coastal town that’s gone awfully quiet and awfully weird. Beneath its eerie calm, the town hides secrets straight out of a nightmare, including ancient alien races, occult rituals, and some questionable fish-human hybrids.
Blending first-person shooter mechanics with survival horror and stealth, the gameplay leans into immersion—there’s no HUD, and a sanity system kicks in as Jack confronts the unexplainable. While the combat is clunky and the controls haven’t aged gracefully, the game's atmosphere does a solid job of channeling Lovecraft’s trademark dread. The town itself oozes unease, and the escalating insanity makes for some genuinely jarring moments.
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