Summary
- Play as the villain: command minions, build lairs, or unleash chaos for pure, unapologetic fun.
- Ranging from comic capers to grim brutality—strategy, stealth, RPGs all let you revel in being bad.
- Sometimes joyful and silly, sometimes dark and disturbing—being evil is a creative power trip.
Sometimes it feels good to be bad. There's a whole genre of games where the entire point is to step into the shoes of the villain, games that chuck moral ambiguity out the window and instead hand players a big, gleeful dose of raw power, whether that means commanding slobbering hordes of minions, dismantling entire societies, or just causing absolute, unapologetic chaos.
The following games revel in letting players bend, break, or crush the rules of morality, for no other reason than to see what happens. The real fun isn't just in the destruction; it's in the creativity of how players wield it.
7 Final Fantasy Games That Let You Play As The Villain
Some of Final Fantasy's most memorable villains—and some of its more obscure ones—have been playable characters in these series entries.
Dungeon Keeper
Home Is Where The Dungeon Heart Is
Dungeon Keeper
- Released
- June 26, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Bullfrog Productions
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
- Platform(s)
- PC
Dungeon Keeper puts players in the shiny, pointy boots of a subterranean tyrant, tasked with sculpting the perfect underground labyrinth for their monstrous minions to thrive in. Instead of saving pathetic peasants, players are luring them into meticulously crafted traps. Watch with smug delight as foolhardy adventurers plummet into spike pits, get mauled by trolls, or get fried to a crisp by carefully placed defenses. It is glorious.
What makes it so memorable is this brilliant mix of strategy and personality. The creatures will demand gold, food, or just a bit of attention, and when players aren't whipping them into shape, they're expanding your evil empire, one tile at a time. Few games capture the pure, unadulterated joy of being the bad guy so unapologetically.
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
World Domination Comes With Blueprints
Evil Genius 2: World Domination
- Released
- March 30, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Rebellion Developments
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Simulation
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Imagine a classic spy movie. Now, flip the perspective. Instead of playing the suave, charming secret agent, you're the megalomaniac mastermind, stroking a cat in a volcano lair and plotting to take over the globe. In this game, players design an evil lair, command their loyal (and disposable) henchmen, and fund ridiculously over-the-top global schemes. And with every decision, they inch a little bit closer to total world domination.
What really gives this title flair is the sheer humor of its presentation. Minions will bumble around, elaborate traps will crush enemy agents in cartoonish fashion, and the tone feels like a perfect parody of a classic Bond villain. It makes ruling the world with an iron fist more comedic than grim.
Manhunt
The Streets Are Darker Than You Think
Manhunt
- Released
- November 18, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
This one doesn't pull its punches. In Manhunt, players aren't trying to build an empire or save anyone. Rather, they are trying to survive by being more cruel, more brutal, than the predators who are hunting them. The player character is a death row inmate, cast in a series of real-life snuff films. Every level is a violent, terrifying puzzle where stealth and brutality are the only tools they have.
10 RPGs Where You Can Be The Villain
From taking over the world to taking over the galaxy, here's a list of some of the best RPGs where being evil opens up all kinds of sinister stories.
Its paranoia-fueled atmosphere is deeply unsettling, yet it’s that raw, grimy edge that makes its brand of villainy so compelling. The game hands players the tools of a horror movie monster, forcing them to inhabit that role to make it through the night. It's one of the rare titles where being bad feels truly grim, yet disturbingly empowering.
Tyranny
Evil Comes With A Rulebook
Tyranny
- Released
- November 10, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS
Imagine a fantasy world where the Dark Lord already won. The war is over. Evil is triumphant. And you? You work for him. In Tyranny, the player character is a Fatebinder; part judge, part jury, part executioner. Their job is to enforce the tyrant's law in a newly conquered land.
What makes this game stand out is how every single choice is drenched in moral weight. Does the player choose to uphold the new order through sheer cruelty, or do they try to bend the twisted rules to carve out their own little slice of power? Its branching storylines make players question what "villain" even means when they're the one writing the laws. It's an intoxicating, intelligent, and replayable RPG.
Destroy All Humans! (2020)
Aliens Do It Better
Destroy All Humans!
- Released
- July 28, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
This game takes the classic 1950s "alien invasion" paranoia and flips it on its head by casting the player as the alien menace itself. And to be clear, Cryptosporidium-137 does not come in peace. He comes armed with a flying saucer, telekinesis, and a snarky, Jack Nicholson-esque attitude, and he is here to wreak absolute havoc on suburban America.
8 Open-World Games With The Best Villians
Some of the best open-world games also feature the most memorable villains, as these examples illustrate.
Players will be blasting cows, hypnotising cops, and harvesting human DNA in the most gleeful fashion imaginable. Playing as Crypto isn’t about guilt or moral greyness. It’s about reveling in pure, unadulterated destruction with a massive smirk in one of the most enjoyable villain power trips around.
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
A Zombie With Style
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
- Released
- October 18, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
This might be the most charmingly villainous game ever made. The protagonist is not some ruthless warlord or a cackling mad scientist. They are Stubbs, a zombie in a parody of a futuristic 1950s city. And their goal is to spread the undead plague by chomping on brains and turning the terrified citizens into their own personal zombie horde.
Comedy is what drives this title. Stubbs will dance to swing music, toss his own internal organs as makeshift grenades, and generally have a grand old time. It’s cartoonish, ridiculous, and refreshingly lighthearted. Unlike some of the darker villain sims on this list, Stubbs makes being evil feel downright joyful. Sometimes, being bad just means having fun with your food.
Overlord
Evil Never Felt So Noble
Overlord
- Released
- June 26, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
In Overlord, players take control of a dark, Sauron-esque ruler, clad in ominous armor. But the real stars of the show are their minions. Players have an entire army of mischievous, gremlin-like creatures who will gladly do their bidding. The real fun in Overlord comes not from your own power, but from pointing a little goblin horde at a problem and watching the chaos unfold.
They will terrorize villagers, loot treasure, smash everything in sight, and sing annoying songs while they do it. It's this perfect mix of strategy and humor that makes Overlord shine. And at the same time, players are building their reputation as either a truly feared tyrant or a slightly "less-evil" conqueror, with just enough choice to make one's particular brand of villainy feel personal. Commanding evil has never been this charming.
8 Games Where You Don’t Know You’re The Villain
These games pull incredible twists on players when they realize that the characters they played as may have been the antagonist all along.