Alone in the Dark Video Game Series
A series of survival horror games, sometimes considered the protoplast of the entire genre. Over the years, the series has been handled by various development studios; Infogrames worked on its first three installments, and later it was developed by such teams as Darkworks, Eden Games, Hydravision Entertainment, Pure FPS and Pieces Interactive. The first owner of the rights to the brand was Infogrames (later renamed Atari), but in 2018 they were sold to THQ Nordic.
The main character of the Alone in the Dark games is Edward Carnby - a private detective who ends up in places overrun by the living dead and other terrifying creatures. While the plot of the first game drew heavily on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, the source of inspiration for later installments were the works of H.R. Giger, as well as voodoo and Wild West culture.
The first game of the series, Alone in the Dark, debuted on PC in 1992. The game, overseen by Frédérick Raynal, was one of the first video games in which characters were made using polygons, and at the same time the first three-dimensional survival horror game in history (Alone in the Dark made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2008). The title was an artistic and commercial success, and over the years it was released on other platforms as well.
Just a year later we got a sequel - Alone in the Dark 2. It was preceded by a spin-off titled Jack in the Dark. The second installment of the series departed from its predecessor, putting more emphasis on combat rather than on exploration and puzzle solving. The third part of the series, Alone in the Dark 3, debuted in 1995 and was the last game using the technology developed for the first game.
The next game in the series, Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, was released in 2001. It was clearly inspired by Resident Evil, which has since grown into the new leader of the survival horror genre. The game received a warm reception, but did not reignite the interest in the Alone in the Dark series.
Another attempt to remind players of this franchise happened in 2008 with the release of Alone in the Dark. The project was plagued by various problems, as a result of which it was received low scores. The improved version, called Alone in the Dark: Inferno, released on PlayStation 3 a few months after the original's release received a little better scores.
In 2015, there was another attempt to put the franchise on a completely new track. Alone in the Dark: Illumination was a multiplayer shooter. Negative player reviews and low ratings from industry media proved that this experiment also failed.
After THQ Nordic took over the rights to the brand, it entrusted the development of a new game to the Pieces Interactive. Alone in the Dark, the seventh installment of the series, was a reboot that re-told the story known from the first game.
Over the years, the Alone in the Dark franchise got adaptations in the form of comic books, as well as films, i.e. Alone in the Dark from 2005, and Alone in the Dark II from 2009. The latter, however, presented an exceptionally low standard, while the former made it into the Guinness Book of World Records (as the "least profitable film based on a video game").
Alone in the Dark Series Evolution
2024
Alone in the Dark
2015
Alone in the Dark: Illumination
2008
Alone in the Dark (2008)
2001
Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
1995
Alone in the Dark 3
1994
Alone in the Dark 2
1992
Alone in the Dark (1992)
Alone in the Dark
March 20, 2024
Action, Interwar Period, Horror, Action Adventure, Singleplayer, Survival Horror, TPP.
Reboot of the cult horror series, launched in 1992. In Alone in the Dark we find ourselves in the Derceto mansion, which we traverse in the skin of Emily Hartwood and Edward Carnby. The protagonists investigate the mysteries of the place and confront the monsters that have overrun it.
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OpenCritic
Steam
Users
Alone in the Dark: Illumination
June 12, 2015
Adventure, Horror, Internet, Co-op, Multiplayer, Singleplayer, Shooters, TPP, TPS.
Alone in the Dark: Illumination is the sixth major game of the Alone in the Dark series, which began between 1992 and 1995 with the cult trilogy developed by I-Motion. This time, however, a completely new studio - Pure - was chosen to develop a game from the fan-favorite series. The game takes place in a mining town of Lorwich, where four heroes will have to face the forces of evil. Each of them has different abilities and a slightly different gameplay. Edward Carnby's descendant is joined by a Witch, an Engineer, and a Priest. Each of them uses different weapons and powers. The Illumination system is a new gameplay feature that allows the players to create safe areas where the playable characters can heal themselves and deal more damage to the enemies. The game comprises four different campaigns and a fully functional multiplayer mode, where fighting the evil forces with other players is only one of the available options.
Steam
Users
Alone in the Dark (2008)
June 20, 2008
Adventure, Horror, Action Adventure, PS Plus Premium, Singleplayer, TPP.
Alone in the Dark is another part of the popular cycle, launched in 1992. Edward Carnby, a private investigator specializing in investigations of paranormal issues, plays the role of the main character again.
Steam
Users
Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
June 18, 2001
Adventure, Horror, Action Adventure, PS Plus Premium, Singleplayer, TPP.
Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare is a classic survival-horror. We play one of two different characters (Edward Carnby and Aline Cedrac). During the game we solve not too complicated puzzles, and we fight spectacular duels with terrifying creatures.
Steam
Users
Alone in the Dark 3
June 26, 1995
Adventure, Horror, Action Adventure, Singleplayer, TPP.
Detective Edward Carnby takes action again. This time we are moving to the set of a western filmed in the town of Slaughter Gultch. The Indian ritual brings back to life Jebediah Stone's band of cowboys who, as zombies, deal with the film crew.
Users
Alone in the Dark 2
February 18, 1994
Adventure, Horror, Action Adventure, PS Plus Premium, Singleplayer, Survival Horror, TPP.
After solving the mystery of the haunted property of Drceto and defeating Cthulian, detective Carnby gets a new task. His friend disappeared while searching for a young girl, Grace Sunders. The trail leads to the hideout of Jedokie Jack, called Hell's Kitchen.
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Alone in the Dark (1992)
November 14, 1992
Adventure, Cthulhu, Horror, Action Adventure, Singleplayer, TPP.
The first part of the adventures of fearless detective Edward Camby, based on the motifs of horror master H.P. Lovecraft. As we investigate the death of Jeremy Hartwood, we come to the suspicious Vuktorian estate of Decreto.
Users
Alone in the Dark Series News
PS Plus Essential for June 2025 will feature 4 free games including a reborn horror adventure with David Harbour
New PS Plus titles are available for free starting June 3rd, 2025. Catch up on Destiny 2 with The Final Shape or jump into indie darling Bomb Rush Cyberfunk.
video games
May 27, 2025
The 1992 Alone in the Dark was the Progenitor of All Survival Horror
After a hiatus of many years, the legendary Alone in the Dark is returning. The latest installment will show a completely new approach to the story and characters we met more than 30 years ago. The title was hailed as a revolution at the time, and no one guessed that it was playing the first survival horror game.
video games
March 26, 2024
Alone in the Dark (2024) - Emily vs Edward, Character Choice Explained
Do you want to play Alone in the Dark, but do not know which character to pick? Emily and Edward are equally interesting, but is any of them a better option?
How to
March 20, 2024
Talisman Code and Walkthrough in Alone in the Dark (2024)
Do you want to progress the game and solve Talisman riddle? We will tell you how to do it.
How to
March 20, 2024
Alone in the Dark (2024) - How to Unlock Shotgun (Lost Children) Guide
Do you want to get a shotgun in Alone in the Dark? We will tell you how to collect all Lost Children collectables.
How to
March 20, 2024
Alone in the Dark (2024) - How to Get and Use a Map
Exploring Alone in the Dark without a map may be difficult. In this guide we will tell you how to get and use it.
How to
March 20, 2024
Alone in the Dark (2024) - Modern or Old School Difficulty Guidance
Do you wonder about the enigmatic Modern or Old School difficulty guidance in Alone in the dark? Let’s talk about it.
How to
March 20, 2024
Alone in the Dark (2024) - Collectibles (Lagniappes) Explained
Collectibles in Alone in the Dark are very important. They are called Lagniappes and can influence the game.
How to
March 20, 2024
Alone in the Dark (2024) - How Many Chapters and How Long to Beat
Are you wondering about the length of Alone in the Dark? We will tell you how many chapters are in the game.
How to
March 20, 2024
PC Specs for Alone in the Dark Not as Scary as the Game Itself. We Know the System Requirements
The devs of the Alone in the Dark reboot, Pieces Interactive studio, have finally revealed the full system requirements of the game's PC version. Fortunately, the title shouldn't be a terror for our computers.
video games
March 19, 2024