Sporeborn Dark (2024)

Developer: ValiantLight
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulation
Rating: 3.8 of 5, 8 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 2.2 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

a tense, atmospheric top-down shooter where each permadeath run through procedurally generated dark corridors amplifies the constant dread of unseen creatures.

atmospherictensesurvivaldarkrogue-litepermadeathtop-down shooterpsychological horror

What players say

Players praise the dark oppressive atmosphere and the stress of managing limited inventory, but are split on procedural generation without a map. Many find the game too short, and the low enemy difficulty undermines the horror. It draws clear comparisons to Darkwood in presentation, though most say it lacks that game's depth.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.