Games Where You Don’t Know You’re The Villain

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Summary

  • A great villain can bring a game to life, particularly when players are given the opportunity to truly empathize by stepping into their shoes.
  • Hidden revelations can leave players questioning their own morality and their experiences within the game world, opening up opportunities for redemption.
  • Expect an avalanche of spoilers as we explore eight games that reveal the player character to be capable of great evil.

Certain video games such as “Undertale,” the “Infamous” series, and the initial “Bioshock,” offer players a choice between performing good or evil deeds. Other titles trick players into thinking they are acting as a benevolent force, only to later reveal that they have been playing the antagonist all along, leaving them in a surprising twist.

Some games skillfully create doubt among players about their entire in-game journey, prompting them to reconsider their experiences and making subsequent playthroughs all the more captivating when the truth about their character’s role within the story is unveiled. Here are some standout titles where the player character is ultimately uncovered as a villain or malevolent force within the game world.

Given the nature of this list, expect spoilers galore for any games mentioned.

8. Layers of Fear

An Artist Who Sees The World In Grisly Red

In Layers of Fear, players find themselves in a haunting mansion, taking on the character of The Artist, a self-centered, tormented painter striving for greatness. As they explore and uncover hidden aspects of the environment, they gradually understand how The Artist’s self-destructive actions led to the disintegration of his family – causing emotional turmoil and physical harm.

The sad reality unfolds that the Artist ignored his wife during her critical moments, leading ultimately to her premature demise. Shockingly, it is revealed later in the narrative that he employs her decaying body parts to complete his grand artwork. At the end of the tale, the Artist might find solace by accepting the long-lasting agony he has inflicted upon his kin.

7. Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs

The Story Of A Man Who Engineers His Own Misery

After a life-changing journey with his kids to an ancient Aztec temple, the once idealistic Victorian businessman Oswald Mandus now finds himself transformed and disoriented. Upon awakening from an illness that caused amnesia, he is shocked to realize that his two sons have mysteriously disappeared.

Oswald gradually regains his lost memories and discovers that his journey had left him with haunting visions of the 20th century, where he witnessed unspeakable atrocities. Among these horrors were the heart-wrenching deaths of his sons during World War I. Overwhelmed by their impending pain, he felt compelled to act and ended their lives prematurely. Upon his return to London, he was driven by a purpose: to eradicate future human suffering – by orchestrating our extinction.

6. Mighty Milky Way

This Adorable Game Has A Monstrous Secret

  • Platform: Nintendo DSi
  • Release date: May 9, 2011
  • Developer: WayForward
  • Genre(s): Action, puzzle

Title character Luna, a delightful extraterrestrial, embarks on a clandestine journey to traverse the cosmos and sow chaos with sweet-flavored destruction, occasionally detonating planets along the way. Though the game is marketed as a charming space odyssey akin to titles like “Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime”, players will soon uncover that Luna is actually a self-centered, ferocious creature with one objective:

To torment her former paramour, a T. rex from Earth. The game concludes as the player destroys Earth, only for the chilling truth to be exposed later — my apologies.

5. Cry Of Fear

A Young Man Must Face The Demons Of His Own Making

Cry of Fear is an exceptional psychological horror game that offers multiple conclusions, similar to the Silent Hill franchise. In one such conclusion, the main character, Simon, succumbs to his internal struggles and transforms into a beast, slaughtering his romantic partner, Sophie, along with his therapist, reflecting his rage towards his circumstances in life.

The game’s genuine conclusion carries a profound sense of optimism. Simon recognizes that he is confined within a chamber of torment that he himself constructed, and bravely tackles his inner struggles, accepting the truth and discovering a fragile tranquility amidst an unideal world. This serves as a beacon to all who grapple with darkness, proving that there’s always a possibility for progress towards the light.

4. We Happy Few

A Tale About Terrible People Seeking Forgiveness

In the game titled “We Happy Few,” a trio of individuals with questionable backgrounds find themselves in a twisted alternate reality set after World War II. Here, the Allies didn’t emerge victorious from the war, and the British populace resorted to using mind-numbing joy pills as a means of escaping their harsh existence.

Instead of opting for the prescribed medicine and embracing the raw truth, prim-and-proper Arthur recalls his deceitful past when he deceived his defenseless brother into embarking on a train journey to Germany. Meanwhile, Ollie uncovers that he betrayed his neighbor’s daughter by selling her to the enemy as an act of vengeance. Ultimately, they both challenge the status quo in a bid for redemption and find some resolution along the way.

3. Amnesia: The Dark Descent

No Evil Deed Goes Unpunished

In the second listing, participants take on the role of Daniel, a youthful archaeologist, who finds himself in a mysterious castle in near-darkness. His only guidance is to eliminate his host, Alexander of Brennenburg.

During his harrowing ordeal, it is ultimately revealed to Daniel that he is not an innocent individual at all. In reality, he has committed heinous acts, carrying out Brennenburg’s orders to inflict torture and murder upon blameless people in order to extract vitae from their tormented bodies. The player can help Daniel regain his moral standing by aiding him in the destruction of the enigmatic Alexander.

2. Mouthwashing

An Outer-Space Tale That Leaves A Bad Taste In Players’ Mouths

The astronauts on board a wrecked spaceship, adrift in the cosmos with no prospect of rescue, are left only with containers of mouthwash for survival amidst their crumbling team.

The narrative becomes increasingly grim as players retrace the past events. In the end, they uncover that the main character, Jimmy, is a heartless monster who deliberately sank the ship to conceal his heinous act of assaulting the lone female crew member. It’s a powerful, emotionally charged story that handles its delicate theme with great care.

1. Bioshock Infinite

The Circle Must Be Broken

Gamers might struggle to discover a more enchanting game setting than Columbia in Bioshock Infinite – a floating city under the control of a ruthless cult leader known as Father Comstock. Throughout the game, players take on the role of Booker Dewitt, battling against this regime. However, an intriguing twist is revealed at the end of the story: Father Comstock turns out to be none other than Booker from another timeline.

In this scenario, Booker chooses to give up his life by letting Elizabeth drown him at the time of Comstock’s birth during a baptismal event. This emotional scene stirs thoughts among players about the significance of self-sacrifice, all while being accompanied by a deeply moving soundtrack.

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2025-07-20 12:34