Horror movies often use a familiar pattern: a group of people faces a terrifying ordeal, and characters are eliminated one by one until only a single survivor remains, frequently a woman. However, not all survival stories follow this formula, and the same is true for horror video games.
I’ve noticed a cool trend in games where you play as a ‘lone survivor,’ but it doesn’t always mean a post-apocalyptic world. Sometimes it’s more about feeling alone, like I’m the last of my kind – think about playing as the Knight in Hollow Knight. Or, like in Loop Hero, the world itself is falling apart around you and it’s up to me to deal with it. It’s a really engaging idea, and I’m seeing it pop up in all sorts of different game genres, which is awesome.
Dead Space requires having the ending spoiled, but everything else is spoiler-free.
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Ball X Pit
Pinball Heroes
Ball X Pit begins with the amusingly named Ballbylon, a humorous take on the ancient city of Babylon, as it collapses into the earth. Players take on the role of survivors venturing into the depths to battle monsters, gather resources, and find blueprints to slowly rebuild the city, house by house. While the city-building elements aren’t extensive, they’re rewarding, offering characters bonuses as they progress.
The game doesn’t have quests or conversations with characters, and that actually works in its favor. The core gameplay – a fast-paced, roguelike experience centered around controlling a ball – is excellent, feeling like a pinball game with RPG elements. The absence of a strong narrative also reinforces the game’s lonely atmosphere, emphasizing the struggle to survive in a desolate world.
Dark Cloud
Toan And I
Level-5’s debut game, Dark Cloud, starts with a dramatic event: a cult brings back a powerful, evil genie who destroys a town and everyone in it. The main character, Toan, resembles Link from The Legend of Zelda and is the only one left with the ability to restore what was lost.
A nearby dungeon holds magical spheres containing materials and characters. Players defeat monsters to collect these spheres, then use them to rebuild the town – a clever system for its time on the PlayStation 2. As players progress, they unlock additional heroes beyond the main character, Toan, such as Goro, who wields a massive hammer. Overall, this game was a strong debut for Level-5, blending action RPG gameplay with town-building elements.
Dead Space
The First Scream King
Unlike many survival games, Dead Space is a true horror experience set in the vastness of space. Players take on the role of Isaac Clarke, an engineer sent with a small team to investigate the abandoned space colony, the USG Ishimura. They quickly discover the crew has either been brutally killed or transformed into terrifying, undead creatures known as Necromorphs.
The crew is gradually and brutally killed off one by one, leaving Isaac as the sole survivor – effectively making him the final girl of this terrifying experience. Both the original game and its remake remain impressive showcases of horror’s potential in the gaming world, featuring a wide range of weapons.
Dragon Quest Builders
A Dark Alternate Ending
Dragon Quest Builders offers a unique take on the classic Dragon Quest story, starting with the disastrous ending of the original game. The world has been destroyed, and you play as a ‘Builder,’ a legendary hero with the ability to rebuild it. Each chapter tasks you with restoring a town or area, and you’ll meet survivors who ask for your help in bringing it back to life.
As you progress through each section of the game, your character will gain levels. However, when you move to a new chapter, those levels reset. While this leveling system is unusual for a Dragon Quest game, the building aspects are easy to pick up – they’re similar to Minecraft, but with improved visuals and a more compelling storyline and set of quests.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Wander No More
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a fresh start for the series, telling a new story with an original character instead of historical figures. This character, known as The Wanderer, lost their tribe and now travels the land, joining forces with different kingdoms all vying for control of China.
Players shape the story by choosing who to support, and these decisions reveal more about the fate of their homeland. As with other Dynasty Warriors titles, expect fast-paced combat where you’ll defeat hundreds of enemies on each map using a variety of weapons and abilities.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
The Weaver’s Call
Both Hollow Knight and its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, tell the stories of characters who are the last of their kind. However, Silksong differs from the original because its protagonist, Hornet, can speak – something the Knight from Hollow Knight couldn’t do. As a Weaver – a unique type of bug – Hornet is forced into a new kingdom where she’ll learn more about her culture and where she comes from.
The kingdom’s unique religion is incredibly interesting, and the developers, Team Cherry, have masterfully built its world. Beyond the compelling story, this hand-drawn 2D platformer looks beautiful and feels fantastic to play, with controls that are perfectly responsive. It’s everything you could hope for in a sequel.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Arise Sir Link
The beginning of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is surprisingly somber for a Zelda game. Link wakes up after a century-long sleep in a strange, almost futuristic ruin, only to discover that Hyrule has been destroyed. He was put to sleep as a last hope – to eventually defeat the evil Calamity Ganon. Sadly, almost everyone Link once knew is either gone or too old and weak to help him fight.
Even after the cataclysm, small communities remain in Hyrule, hoping for a hero. Players explore a beautiful, ruined world, strengthening Link along the way. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild truly stands out as an open-world game, offering players unparalleled freedom.
Loop Hero
And Around We Go
Loop Hero is a roguelike game where you’re the last hero trying to rebuild a world that’s constantly being destroyed. Each time you play, the map changes, and you shape your path by placing objects like rocks and trees, which then draw different enemies to you.
Battles happen in turns, but your characters fight on their own. Each playthrough usually takes ten to fifteen minutes, though it can sometimes last much longer depending on random chance. Despite being simple to learn, Loop Hero is surprisingly addictive and hard to stop playing, making it a challenging roguelike.
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2026-03-26 10:35