![]() To call this a “side-scroller” is both accurate and misleading, as you can only walk along a horizontal plane but the main gameplay conceit is the ability to rotate the landscape in 90-degree increments. From here the goal is simply to get to the “end” of the nightmare and trigger a return back to the house, only to repeat the sequence all over again another six times in whole different settings with new challenges. ![]() Cue the first dream, as the protagonist undergoes an out-of-body experience with the backdrop twisting into a whole new environment around him. ![]() You simply take control of a lanky, bald, almost uncomfortably skeletal young man in his dilapidated house, with nothing to do but crawl into bed and sleep. Reminiscent of other puzzle-platformers like Limbo and INSIDE, DARQ is a thoroughly enigmatic adventure that starts with no preamble or introduction of any kind. The only thing this experience has that my own nighttime imaginings do not is one heck of a landscape-altering gimmick and a variety of puzzles that are reasonably diverting and yet begin to wear out their welcome despite the brief 2-3 hour runtime. That’s exactly how I felt while playing this game. There’s a degree of lucidity to my dreams that lets me relish them as I sleep even the bad ones don’t end with a sudden lurch and a case of the cold sweats, but rather a sense of wonder and appreciation of the absurdities my subconscious mind has conjured up. By that I don’t mean the scariest, but rather the one that most feels like a real nightmare, from its surreal presentation to ever-changing environments to largely nonsensical story – and yes, a few chilling moments of horror. Unfold Game Studios’ DARQ is probably the most nightmarish adventure game I’ve ever played. Note: Since time of writing, two free DLC levels have been released, The Tower and the Crypt, offering new settings, puzzles, mechanics, and a solid 1-2 hours of additional gameplay.
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