Fantasy games are often the genre people go to whenthey want to escape. Separate from our own world, they’re full of magical adventures, a wild assortment of characters, and plots you can only find within their walls.
While many of these fantasy worlds are bright and welcoming, some use that as a way to distract you or even surprise you with dark lore and terrible creatures. No matter how much you’ve been drawn in to wanting to live in these fantasy worlds, take heed, because they hold plenty of dark secrets that make them far less inviting than you may have thought.
9Hyrule - The Legend Of Zelda Series
Ganon Has Plans
Everyone who is into gaming knows of Hyrule, and perhaps many that don’t play have at least heard of the adventures of Link and Zelda. Hyrule has seen varied approaches from creators since its beginning, but one thing for certain is that it is a far darker setting than at first glance.
There are plenty of happy villagers here and there, but Zelda has it cut out for her as a ruler because the seemingly immortal Gannon is pain enough. Add on the ghosts, ghouls, goblins, and traps that inhabit Hyrule and you really wouldn’t want to go walking around without a master sword.
8Mushroom Kingdom - Super Mario Series
Kidnappings & Goombas
A classic from decades past, the Super Mario games don’t seem to be going anywhere, especially after being a part of the silver screen again. While we all know the tale of the plumber, the princess, and the monster, what is usually considered as a game fit for children is surprisingly grim when you think about it.
Mushroom armies taking over the world, serial kidnappings on the rise, the only hero being a man who works two jobs (plumber and doctor, and maybe race car driver) while also trying to save the world? Not a place anyone sane would choose to live in.
7Baldur’s Gate - Baldur’s Gate Series
Always An Apocalypse
Sure, Baldur’s Gate isn’t all rainbows and puppies. No one is trying to say it is. But if there is one point Baldur’s Gate 3 drove home, it is that the city and the world around it is surely a dark place to make a living.
But, most of the people seem happy on the surface. Shapeshifters, iron-fisted rulers, armies of the undead, illithids, five-headed dragon gods, and literally any of the dozen other things that have threatened the world since Baldur’s Gate came up in Dungeons & Dragons lore make you wonder why anyone is happy at all while walking the streets of the city or the neighboring wilds.
6Pelican Town - Stardew Valley
Why Live There?
One of the first cozy fantasy settings that will probably come to mind when youthink about relaxing gamesis Stardew Valley’s Pelican Town. Inheriting the family farm is quite a bit of good ol' fun and hard work.
Planting seeds, tending animals, talking to villagers, it’s an ideal life. Except for all the monsters in the nearby caves. Why even build a farm next to something called the Skull Cavern? No amount of cute farm animals and a walkable community would make me deal with Skeleton Mages on the regular.
5Tamriel - The Elder Scrolls Series
Dragons & Demons
Sure, any time you enter Tamriel as a player, you are almost certainly the thing of legend. Dragonborn, chosen of the king, savior of Kvatch, you are always the one to fight the evil that invades Tamriel.
But for a fantasy setting that isn’t dark fantasy, it’s pretty dark. Demons invade at any time, or dragons come back to life, a civil war breaks out, not to mention the cave or ruin a brisk walk from your front door either has a necromancer in it or some sort of man-eating creature. The people of Tamriel are made of stronger stuff than most, that’s for sure.
4Pallet Town - Pokemon Series
How Old Are You?
Many gamers can recall one of the first major fantasy series, or even major game series in general, that they played being Pokemon games. A host of memorable characters, challenges, and locations all make for a universe that has withstood the test of time. Albeit, with some dark secrets.
Why are people letting their kids fend for themselves at ten? Where have so many of the parents gone? Why is everyone okay with drifloons taking kids? Why are there so many phantump? It’s a pretty dark world once you think about it. Not to mention all the various terrorist groups trying to take over or destroy the world.
3A Fictional Caribbean - Monkey Island Series
A Pirates Life For Thee?
Fans of the Monkey Island games will have fallen in love with the humor that such an older series pulled off and how well it has aged, especially considering how some other games have fallen off over time with their own jokes.
Fans of the series may not be aware, though, of how dark these fictionalized versions ofthe Caribbean Islandswere until they look back. Imprisonment is common, piracy is rampant, and cannibals are around every corner. Maybe pirating life isn’t for everyone if that’s the daily outlook. At least there’s plenty of rum.
2The Kingdom Of Alefguard & Beyond - Dragon Quest Series
Don’t Touch That Slime
There aren’t many fantasy series out there that pull off the cute and vivid color style as well as the Dragon Quest series has over the years. One look at one of the many slimes that roam Alefguard, and you’ll want to move there immediately.
The bad part is, like so many other fantasy games, everything there wants to kill you. Orphans are left to fend for themselves, cities are wiped off the map, and an entire ecosystem that doesn’t take kindly to humans means, no matter how cute the slime is, you should absolutely not try and pet it.
1An Alternate Earth - Chrono Trigger
Time Travel Is No Joke
Chrono Trigger asks a pretty fun question from the get-go: What if a fantasy gameadded time travel to the mix? The result is a fun game that takes you through various time periods in a semi-fictional Earth.
It’s the dream of many, but it should definitely be avoided. Gargoyles, tyrants, draconic creatures, the woes of industrialization, and a timeline that seems to get worse the more it’s messed with all means time traveling through this fantastic version of our world should be left alone, except for maybe the professionals, and even then it’s a risk.
