From eerie rituals and cursed tomes to ancient bloodlines and whispered pacts, occult themes have long haunted the edges of the gaming world. But in recent years, they’ve stepped fully into the spotlight—inviting players to explore corrupted churches, forgotten realms, and shadow-drenched minds. This isn’t about jump scares or surface-level horror. These are the games that reach deeper, peeling back the veil between reality and something far more arcane.
In this article, we’re exploring the top occult-themed games that blend lore, aesthetics, and gameplay into unforgettable dark experiences. Whether you’re a seasoned demon summoner or simply curious about what lies beyond the pentagram, these titles will leave their mark.
Why We Crave the Occult in Games
Occult games don’t just scare us—they seduce us.
They tap into primal fears and unspoken desires: forbidden knowledge, the allure of power, and the temptation of transgression. Players aren’t just witnesses to horror; they’re often participants, willingly stepping into roles that challenge morality and perception. The occult isn’t just a theme—it’s a narrative lens that lets developers question identity, reality, and the unknown.
And for players who find catharsis in darkness, occult games are a haven of self-discovery. They invite us to face our shadows and ask, “What would I do if no one could stop me?”
Top Occult Titles: A Descent Into Darkness
Bloodborne (FromSoftware)
Platform: PlayStation 4
Genre: Action RPG
Occult Flavor: Eldritch horror, cosmic cults, blood rituals
In Bloodborne, you’re not just fighting beasts—you’re unraveling a world infected with arcane secrets and alien divinity. Set in the crumbling city of Yharnam, where blood worship has twisted everything into a nightmare, this gothic masterpiece is a love letter to H.P. Lovecraft. As the truth unfolds, you realize the real terror isn’t the monsters—it’s the knowledge they represent.
Signature Occult Moment: The transformation of the world as you increase Insight—a mechanic that literally changes your perception of reality.
Cult of the Lamb (Massive Monster)
Platform: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Genre: Roguelike colony sim
Occult Flavor: Demon worship, cult-building, dark blessings
Cute meets cursed in this gloriously blasphemous indie gem. You play as a possessed lamb resurrected by an imprisoned god. Your mission? Build a cult in their name, defeat rival heretics, and spread divine terror—all wrapped in adorable animation. Don’t let the visuals fool you: this is a full-on occult fantasy, complete with summoning circles, dark sermons, and devotion-based power.
Signature Occult Moment: Performing rituals to resurrect followers or summon eldritch aid.
The Medium (Bloober Team)
Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
Genre: Psychological horror
Occult Flavor: Spirit realms, psychic trauma, necromantic visions
In The Medium, players walk between two worlds: the living and the dead. As Marianne, a psychic medium, you uncover the lingering pain of souls trapped in limbo, solving puzzles and confronting the monstrous consequences of spiritual corruption. Drawing from Polish folklore and esoteric imagery, the game explores the weight of unresolved trauma—and the dark entities it creates.
Signature Occult Moment: Simultaneous dual-realm exploration using your psychic senses to uncover hidden truths.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (Edmund McMillen)
Platform: PC, consoles, mobile
Genre: Roguelike dungeon crawler
Occult Flavor: Biblical apocalypse, demonic pacts, angel vs devil dynamics
This chaotic, blood-soaked roguelike is a twisted take on religious trauma and spiritual symbolism. Trapped in the basement by his zealot mother, Isaac must battle literal demons, mutated sins, and his own fractured psyche. With dozens of occult items—pentagrams, Necronomicons, familiars, and cursed keys—the game lets players dive deep into a surreal descent.
Signature Occult Moment: Choosing to trade health for demonic power in a devil room.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt Red)
Platform: PC, consoles
Genre: Open-world RPG
Occult Flavor: Slavic folklore, ritual magic, spectral curses
Though it presents as a fantasy epic, The Witcher 3 leans heavily into the occult, particularly in its exploration of pagan rites, forest deities, and cursed bloodlines. Witchers themselves are alchemical warriors, and Geralt’s world is steeped in haunted villages, necromantic rites, and dark pacts. The game’s richness lies in its moral ambiguity—often, the “monster” isn’t who you think.
Signature Occult Moment: Facing off against the Crones of Crookback Bog—three witches who embody primal female archetypes twisted through folklore.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
Platform: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Genre: Narrative-driven action
Occult Flavor: Norse mythology, shamanic visions, psychospiritual descent
Senua’s journey into Helheim isn’t just physical—it’s deeply spiritual and psychological. Suffering from severe psychosis, she sees visions, hears voices, and battles entities both mythological and symbolic. Drawing from Celtic and Norse mysticism, Hellblade immerses you in a world where the veil between mind and myth has fully unraveled.
Signature Occult Moment: Crossing into Hel’s domain through trials of darkness and memory, each echoing inner shadow work.
Darkest Dungeon (Red Hook Studios)
Platform: PC, consoles, mobile
Genre: Gothic roguelike strategy
Occult Flavor: Eldritch corruption, forbidden knowledge, sanity mechanics
This punishing dungeon crawler is built on the concept that power comes at a cost. You’re not just battling monsters—you’re fighting despair, madness, and creeping doom. With a Lovecraftian mythos underpinning everything, players must manage their party’s stress and sanity as much as their health. Occult classes like the Vestal, Occultist, and Abomination make magic as dangerous as it is useful.
Signature Occult Moment: Reading ancient tomes and unleashing horrors you can’t put back.
Lucius (Shiver Games)
Platform: PC
Genre: Adventure horror
Occult Flavor: Antichrist narrative, satanic rites, murder -by-magic
You play as Lucius, the devil’s son, using your supernatural abilities to eliminate household members in increasingly creative and brutal ways. It’s part stealth, part puzzle, and part morality play—what happens when evil isn’t an outside force but the very soul of the protagonist?
Signature Occult Moment: Performing a Black Mass ritual to gain new unholy powers.
Little Misfortune (Killmonday Games)
Platform: PC, consoles
Genre: Narrative adventure
Occult Flavor: Death omens, spirit world, childlike darkness
On the surface, Little Misfortune looks like a quirky storybook game. But underneath, it’s layered with occult symbolism and the subtle presence of death. As a young girl guided by a voice she believes to be “Mr. Voice,” Misfortune is drawn into a series of tragic and surreal events. The game flirts with fate, false gods, and unseen rituals hidden behind childlike innocence.
Signature Occult Moment: Discovering the truth about “Mr. Voice” and what he really is.
Emerging Trends: Occult as Narrative Mirror
As the gaming industry matures, occult themes are increasingly being used to reflect deep emotional and psychological truths. No longer just about demons or forbidden books, the modern occult game explores:
- Mental health: Games like Hellblade or The Medium use supernatural elements as metaphors for trauma, psychosis, or grief.
- Moral grayness: Many occult games challenge the binary of good and evil, asking players to question divine authority and rebel against fate (The Binding of Isaac, Cult of the Lamb).
- Cultural lore: Titles like The Witcher or World of Horror draw from non-Western and folkloric traditions, showcasing the occult as global and multifaceted.
Why These Games Matter
Occult games speak to something ancient inside us. They pull us into stories where the rules of reality bend and where confronting darkness is the only path forward. For many, playing these games is more than entertainment—it’s ritual, rebellion, and revelation.
They ask hard questions.
- What are you willing to sacrifice for knowledge?
- Can darkness be a teacher?
- What happens when you embrace what others fear?
Embrace the Shadows
The occult isn’t always about horror—it’s about transformation. And gaming is the perfect medium to explore that transformation in interactive, personal ways. Whether you’re banishing spirits, casting forbidden spells, or simply walking between worlds, these titles prove that gaming with a dark twist isn’t just thrilling—it’s powerful.
So light your virtual candle. Shuffle your digital deck. And step across the threshold.
Because the veil is thin—and the game has only just begun.
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