History Main / DarkFantasy

* ''The Grim Company'' by Luke Scull is set in a world where powerful wizards killed and absorbed their gods' power only to learn that the gods were the CosmicKeystone to the world. Despite their newfound world, these wizards can't halt the decay of the world and many of them have gone mad or decadent while the demonic forces are starting to make inroads into the world. Trying to save the world is a delusional idiot who was told he had a HeroicLineage, the girl he's in love with who's secretly a junkie, a pair of world-weary and broken barbarians and a bunch of rebels who are much worse than they let on.

* ''Literature/TheSunEater'' could be considered a more sci-fantasy version of a Dark Fantasy story in a similar vein to ''Warhammer 40,000''. The titular protagonist is the TouchedByVorlons hero/villain DarkMessiah of a xenophobic empire, who ended the threat of an omnicidal alien ServantRace to {{Eldritch Abomination}}s who are trying to destroy the physical universe. To do so he committed a near-genocide of those aliens, leaving only a few hundred to be exiled into alienages. Worse yet his final victory over those aliens required the use of a StarKilling weapon and the near destruction of the Imperial fleet plus the death of the Emperor.

* ''Literature/TheSunEater'' could be considered a more sci-fantasy version of a Dark Fantasy story in a similar vein to ''Warhammer 40,000''. The titular protagonist is the TouchedByVorlons hero/villain who ended the threat of an omnicidal alien ServantRace to {{Eldritch Abomination}}s. To do so he committed a near-genocide of those aliens, leaving only a few hundred to be exiled into alienages. Worse yet his final victory over those aliens required the use of a StarKilling weapon and the near destruction of the Imperial fleet plus the death of the Emperor.

* ''Literature/TheSunEater'' could be considered a more sci-fantasy version of a Dark Fantasy story in a similar vein to Warhammer 40,000. The titular protagonist is the TouchedByVorlons hero/villain who ended the threat of an omnicidal alien ServantRace to {{Eldritch Abomination}}s. To do so he committed a near-genocide of those aliens, leaving only a few hundred to be exiled into alienages. Worse yet his final victory over those aliens required the use of a StarKilling weapon and the near destruction of the Imperial fleet plus the death of the Emperor.

* ''{{VideoGame/Diablo}}'' has elements of it. Moreso in ''VideoGame/DiabloII'', where TheLegionsOfHell have TheHorde of TheUndead, mutant wildlife, lesser demons, and DealWithTheDevil types Vs. a morally dubious {{Necromancer}}, a VainSorceress, or a {{Paladin}} who belongs to a CorruptChurch. [[ItsUpToYou And it's all up to that one person]], plus any minions [=s/he=] may [=hire/summon=]. Heaven won't help out because of a strict non-interference policy, except for one Angel who sells goodies and resurrects dead party members to pay rent. In ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'', the series veers away from this into heroic fantasy, with [[spoiler:the aforementioned Angel joining the fight against evil in person, and an unambiguous positive ending.]] The graphical style especially shifts away from the darkness in a figurative ''and'' literal way, becoming vibrant and cartoonish. Then the darkness comess back in a big way in the expansion, with a powerful archangel going bad and seeking to KillAllHumans by means of a demonic ArtifactOfDoom because he sees them as no better than demons because of [[BornOfHeavenAndHell their origins]].

* Creator/MichaelMoorcock's ''[[Literature/TheElricSaga Elric Saga]]'', focusing on a doomed albino emperor (albeit a DefectorFromDecadence from his cruel and decaying empire) with [[ArtifactOfDoom the mother of all]] {{Evil Weapon}}s.

* ''{{VideoGame/Diablo}}'' has elements of it. Moreso in ''VideoGame/DiabloII'', where TheLegionsOfHell have TheHorde of TheUndead, mutant wildlife, lesser demons, and DealWithTheDevil types Vs. a [[BlackAndGreyMorality morally dubious]] {{Necromancer}}, a VainSorceress, or a {{Paladin}} who belongs to a CorruptChurch. [[ItsUpToYou And it's all up to that one person]], plus any minions [=s/he=] may [=hire/summon=]. Heaven won't help out because of a strict non-interference policy, except for one Angel who sells goodies and resurrects dead party members to pay rent. In ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'', the series veers away from this into heroic fantasy, with [[spoiler:the aforementioned Angel joining the fight against evil in person, and an unambiguous positive ending.]] The graphical style especially shifts away from the darkness in a figurative ''and'' literal way, becoming vibrant and cartoonish. Then the darkness comess back in a big way in the expansion, with a powerful archangel going bad and seeking to KillAllHumans by means of a demonic ArtifactOfDoom because he sees them as no better than demons because of [[BornOfHeavenAndHell their origins]].

* Creator/MichaelMoorcock's ''[[Literature/TheElricSaga Elric Saga]]'', focusing on a doomed albino emperor with [[ArtifactOfDoom the mother of all]] {{Evil Weapon}}s.

[[caption-width-right:350:''The old ones speak of winter]], [[VideoGame/DarkSouls the young ones praise the sun]]''.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[Music/RonnieJamesDio The old ones]] [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire speak of winter]], [[VideoGame/DarkSouls the young ones praise the sun]]''.]]

* If SufficientlyAdvancedMagic [[DungeonPunk enters play]], the following may happen: [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul augmentations eat away at one's humanity]] (often [[BodyHorror involuntarily]] for the sake of war and profit), [[SinisterSurveillance communication magic]] creates [[BigBrotherIsWatching new and fascinating ways to control people]], and [[{{golem}} sentient constructs]] [[AIIsACrapshoot have only contempt]] for their creators.

* Of the StandardFantasyRaces, [[OurElvesAreDifferent the elves]] are all [[CantArgueWithElves stuffed-up]] [[ScrewYouElves jerks]] who have either sneaked off, devolved into fancy-eared humans, are [[TheFairFolk horrifying abominations]], or have been [[EnslavedElves enslaved]] (the only kind who may thrive are the Dark Elves), the {{hobbits}} were the first to be subjugated or are just plain evil in the first place, the dwarves don't care about anyone else and thus shamelessly nickel-and-dime the other guys, and HumansAreBastards and actively persecute the rest. AbusivePrecursors, if any.

* In terms of politics, often there's an [[ForeverWar endless]] [[HopelessWar conflict]] between the civilizations. Wars of extinction are not uncommon and entire Worlds[[note]]world, in this context, means both planets and planes of the multiverse[[/note]] are often put to the sword to ensure victory. Otherwise it is a fight to be the new figurehead of the [[VestigialEmpire old empire that had fallen eons ago]].

* The very best you can count on is an {{Anti Hero}}ic KnightInSourArmor. There is a high chance of (likely more than a bit of WellIntentionedExtremist, or just straight-out [[EvilVersusEvil bad guy]]) DesignatedHero, who will [[TheBadGuyWins probably]] [[ShootTheShaggyDog lose]] [[DownerEnding or end up as]] HeWhoFightsMonsters or [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie a zombie]] anyway, no matter how hard he may ResistTheBeast. If they're GivingTheSwordToANoob to [[DefiedTrope Defy]] this, expect said Noob to fail.

* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'': monsters run amok devouring the innocent civilians while [[TheyLookLikeUsNow disguising themselves as their neighbors]] and the [[DemonSlaying only warriors who can fight them]] (all [[BrokenBird psychologically damaged young women]]) tend to live very short lives thanks to TheCorruption which will [[OneWingedAngel turn them into something]] [[EldritchAbomination much worse]] and [[spoiler:it's all just a MonsterProtectionRacket (something that the warriors are just as ignorant of as the terrorized peasants). And for what? To create an ideal weapon for an [[ForeverWar Endless War]] between another continent bent on seeing them dead.]]

* ''Anime/GenmaWars'': Despite the setting taking place in a [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic Earth]], it fits all other aspects: civilization has fallen and humanity is ruled by an [[EvilOverlord oppressive]] [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils demonic]] [[TheCaligula tyrant]] and his sorcerous race, who employ evil monsters to enforce their will. There are no actual heroic opposition against them, the only other group that defies the demons are a criminal band of reavers that steal from the demon's innocent servants, while the two protagonists are {{failure hero}}es who just make everything worse and do not accomplish anything.

* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'' is most certainly this, albeit a story of a smaller scale compared to other works of fiction with the same genre. There are no signs of any [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt world-ending events]] or [[VillainsActHeroesReact active]] [[GodOfEvil gods of evil]], and the kingdom of Eostia seems like a functioning regime in and of itself. However, don't let these subversions hide the fact that Eostia has been engulfed in a ForeverWar for centuries, with the underlying FantasticRacism as the main driver for this vicious cycle. Luckily, said war finally comes to an end when The Good Hunter comes to the picture... only for ''another'' war to break out when the Black Dogs, an ArmyOfThievesAndWhores who happens to be the finest [[HiredGuns mercenary group]] in Eostia, [[EtTuBrute decides to take over the country]] [[AmbitionIsEvil to build a Sex Empire]]. As such, civilians are constantly threatened by not only the AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters in the [[GrimUpNorth North]], but also the rogue mercenaries, both of whom engage in RapePillageAndBurn on a frequent basis. Later parts of the story even reveal that sizeable support for the Black Dogs is evident, courtesy of [[AristocratsAreEvil traitors]] [[CorruptChurch within]] [[GullibleLemmings the country]] that puts it in a war of multiple fronts. WarIsHell is in full effect, as the [[PyrrhicVictory pyrrhic victories]] and [[WarCrimeSubvertsHeroism numerous descriptions of war crimes committed by both sides]] would tell you. As for the main protagonist, he is an [[AntiHero anti-heroic]] ShellShockedVeteran talented in the art of bloodshed. While it is true that he is at best a KnightInSourArmour who believes that HumansAreFlawed and defies WhatMeasureIsANonHuman, these qualities are only backed by his [[TheDreaded infamy]] as a merciless WorldsStrongestMan, driving home that [[MightMakesRight might certainly makes right]], instead of the other way round. Oh, [[spoiler:did we forget to mention that he is a [[HumanoidAbomination humanoid]] [[EldritchAbomination great one]]? The SerialEscalation involving an EvilSorcerer shows how far he will go to [[{{Masquerade}} bury the secrets]] of the [[ThingsManIsNotMeantToKnow Eldritch Truth]], in order to avert [[GoMadFromTheRevelation a far worse outcome]].]]

** In the various stories of Greco-Roman and Christian mythology, the world is apparently filled with horrific monsters that are only held back by God(s) and heroes slaying them from time to time. Be they [[ImAHumanitarian man-eating]] [[OurGiantsAreBigger giants]], [[DragonsAreDemonic draconic manifestations of Satan]], an absurd amount of [[SeaMonster terrors from the sea]], or whatever else the universe might want to throw at humanity. The various Hellene heroes and Christian saints have no shortage of MonstersOfTheWeek.

* The ''VideoGame/DeptHeaven'' series in general. As if the mortals [[HumansAreBastards weren't bad enough by themselves]], all mortals are by design stuck in the middle of the war between [[OrderVersusChaos gods and demons]], both sides of which will actively screw you over in the name of their own victory. Defectors from [[FallenAngel either]] [[AscendedDemon side]] generally don't get very happy endings either.

** ''VideoGame/NieR'', Drakengard's spinoff, is closer in tone to a traditional fantasy narrative...at first. Things are post-apocalyptic, sure. Magic is blood-based, I'll grant you that. Humanity may have done some awfully unpleasant things in the past in the name of saving themselves. And yes, your daughter ''has'' been kidnapped by [[DarkIsEvil the resident king]] [[TheHeartless of shadows.]] But [[PapaWolf you]] [[TrueCompanions and your friends]] are good people...right? [[spoiler:Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. However you view yourself, you still just thoughtlessly murdered [[ForcedTransformation the last of the original humans.]]]]

* ''Webcomic/BasketsOfGuts'': Despite the fact that magic is quite common and basically doesn't require any evil activities to use it, most of the wizards empower their spells with [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent homunculi]]-based batteries. Said homunculi are supposedly artificial powerful wizards, doomed [[PoweredByAForsakenChild to serve as energy sources]] for their [[AndIMustScream entire life]]. And then there are [[MadScientist paraanatomists]] who promote [[PlayingWithSyringes "medicine"]] over healing magic. And TheMafia, lots of it. So it's not [[CrapsackWorld the world that is dark]], but rather the creatures who populate it. It even makes the whole [[FeudalFuture goverment]] [[StateSec tyranny]] thing [[HobbesWasRight somewhat justified]].

* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'' is set a [[TheMultiverse multiverse]] built upon [[GodIsDead the suicide of its creator YISUN,]] which was once a place of grandiose warrior-gods and civilizations of wise philosopher-kings, but no more. After an apocalyptic Universal War swept away the multiverse in a deluge of fire, seven mad [[GodEmperor Demiurges]] now rule over creation, [[MultiversalConqueror visiting ruin and oppression upon their subjects.]] Crime and rot are rampant and unchallenged. The closest thing to Heaven, the Red City of Throne, is a gigantic WretchedHive built from the corpses of the gods and angels that once inhabited it, controlled by decadent [[TheMafia Guilds,]] [[OurDemonsAreDifferent devils]] and ruthless slavers. [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Angels,]] the keepers of order and justice, have either stepped on [[FallenAngel the Path of Thorns,]] lost their way and became glorified mercenaries, or spend their time philosophying in [[VoidBetweenTheWorlds the Void]] while the material world tears itself apart. If that wasn't enough, the central religion of the setting, Atru, preaches that all of creation is built on violence and lies, and worst of all, seems to be ''right.''

* ''{{WesternAnimation/Disenchantment}}'' has probably the most [[BlackComedy darkly humorous]] take on the dark fantasy genre in cartoon history, playing its [[TheDarkAges medieval]] [[CrapsackWorld dystopian setting]] [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]]. Despite this, is still meets many of the traits of other Dark Fantasy stories. The royal palace is large and comfortable, and the [[UpperClassTwit royalty/nobility]] live in luxury; but the [[MedievalMorons commoners]] [[TheDungAges live in severe poverty, filthy homes, and barely have enough to eat]], and often have to make a living doing unpleasant work such as [[OffWithHisHead executioners]]. And despite the fact that the royalty and nobility have much more comfortable lives, they're also going [[ImpoverishedPatrician bankrupt]]. Children may even start work as soon as they are born, taking jobs such as midwife, miner, or candlemaker. The relations between the various nations are tense at best, and the threat of war is very real. Magical beings don't have it any better; [[OurFairiesAreDifferent fairies]] often work as [[TheOldestProfession prostitutes]], while [[OurElvesAreDifferent elves]] are hunted for their [[BloodMagic magical blood]] which can create the ElixirOfLife. The elves, by the way, live in a society where [[HappinessIsMandatory you are expected to]] [[StepfordSmiler act happy all the time]]... [[CrapsaccharineWorld or else]].

* ''Literature/GoblinSlayer'' doesn't seem like this at first, but it most definitely qualifies: the weakest monster, goblins, have had a population explosion since 1) nobody with power and influence can be arsed to kill them and because the areas most often hit with goblins are too poor to offer a reward worth the attention of the higher-ranked members of the Adventurer's Guild, the job often falls to inexperienced rookies who frequently get in over their heads and wind up slaughtered or worse; and 2) they have an R-selective reproductive strategy (spawn hundreds in the hopes that a handful will make it to adulthood) and [[MarsNeedsWomen require abducting females]] to perpetuate their species. The main protagonist - the only high-ranked adventurer who bothers doing anything about the goblin problem and is ''extremely effective'' at his job - is a ByronicHero KnightTemplar who wouldn't hesitate about [[WouldHurtAChild bashing in the brains of even the youngest of the goblins]]. The worst part is that [[TheExtremistWasRight he is absolutely right]] because every single goblin is AlwaysChaoticEvil.

* Believe it or not, Creator/JRRTolkien actually wrote a fair amount in this genre. He even wrote that most of his tales were tragic.
** ''Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin'' would be one of the earliest examples if only Tolkien hadn't held it in DevelopmentHell until his death. TheHorde vastly outnumbering human civilization? Check. Isolationist elves and often shameless dwarves? Check. The gods [[PassThePopcorn passing the popcorn?]] Check, as this is set before Eärendil's voyage. The GodOfEvil is the only one not passing the popcorn? Oh yes, check. The main hero is an AntiHero [[KnightInSourArmor in sour armor]]? Frickin check. Pile on the incest, genocide, bleak war against the forces of an evil god where humanity's on the losing side, and a tragic DownerEnding, and it's almost hard to believe it's in the same universe as the Hobbit.
** Much of ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' feels like this, [[UnbuiltTrope amusingly enough]]. The entry just above is but one story in a list of several darker losses and tragedy, set within a world of astounding beauty and wonder, but also in a world where the wisest know that the old glory cannot last and fate is doomed to taint the world with evil. Many elves in the story are genocidal, racist, and on a path of bloodshed and revenge for the Silmarils, doomed by their own oath to get them back or fail beyond any help from the gods and by fate itself. Promises are SeriousBusiness, after all. Humans either die heroically in a war they have no chance of winning, betray their kin with promises and seduction by the dark god Morgoth, or simply try to survive against all odds. Dwarves are either greedy or isolationist against all the suffering around them, and the war is going so bad that both men and elves are on the brink of apocalypse. Things do get better, but their Numenorean descendants bring their triumph down to a PyrrhicVictory.
** Even ''Literature/TheHobbit'' could be considered an example, albeit a downplayed one (especially since it's for kids and has a lot of comedic elements). The whole story is motivated not by the balance of the world, but by greed and self-interest on all sides. There are very few real heroes -- Bilbo gradually develops into one after starting as an apathetic ClassicalAntihero a lot of the time, and Gandalf is a trickster who cannot be relied on for at least half of the journey as he comes and goes apparently capriciously, having greater issues to tackle that are only later revealed.

* ''Literature/GoblinSlayer'' doesn't seem like this trope at first due to ArtStyleDissonance, but it most definitely qualifies: the weakest monster, goblins, have had a population explosion since 1) nobody with power and influence can be arsed to kill them and because the areas most often hit with goblins are too poor to offer a reward worth the attention of the higher-ranked members of the Adventurer's Guild, the job often falls to inexperienced rookies who frequently get in over their heads and wind up slaughtered or worse; and 2) they have an R-selective reproductive strategy (spawn hundreds in the hopes that a handful will make it to adulthood) and [[MarsNeedsWomen require abducting females]] to perpetuate their species. The main protagonist - the only high-ranked adventurer who bothers doing anything about the goblin problem and is ''extremely effective'' at his job - is a ByronicHero KnightTemplar who wouldn't hesitate about [[WouldHurtAChild bashing in the brains of even the youngest of the goblins]]. The worst part is that [[TheExtremistWasRight he is absolutely right]] because every single goblin is AlwaysChaoticEvil.

* ''Literature/Overlord2012'': The New World is not exactly pleasant to live in, for most of society. To wit, the sudden introduction of a nigh-invulnerable Lich Overlord, and his army composed mostly of nigh-unstoppable, psychotic, genocidal followers who see people as insects, at best, is actually an improvement in most circumstances.
* ''Literature/ReZero'', while seemingly starting off as a HighFantasy, is slowly unraveled to be one of these by Arc 3, featuring terrifying monsters, evil cults, and good people doing horrible things when caught in the middle of it all.
* ''Literature/RollOverAndDie'': Though it looks like a classical HighFantasy at first glance, it is quickly shown to be this. The demons are not the stereotypical AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters that the heroes believe them to be, but just a different humanoid race that have been victims of persecution by the Church for a long time. The CorruptChurch is the true villain. The typical monsters of a Fantasy setting still exist, but the ones the main cast has to fight are "chimeras" with bizarre but powerful abilities created by experiments of the church. Said experiments are also performed on humans, who also get unique but terrifying powers. There is plenty of BodyHorror and the heroes never finish an arc without going through great amounts of pain, physical and emotional.
* The ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'' ''Alicization'' arc is the closest one for the series to have, with Underworld being filled with many monsters like Goblins and Giants from the Dark Territory that outright grotesque and violent and the Human Realm while seemingly looks peaceful on the outside, is actually full of hidden corruptions and crimes everywhere.

* While actually set in the far future and being more of a cross between ScienceFantasy and Horror, ''Literature/VampireHunterD'' is set in a world where monsters control the Earth, with humans as second-class citizens kept in MedievalStasis. The only hope humanity has is various monster hunters.

** ''VideoGame/HellbladeSenuasSacrifice'' is an interesting case, often [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane blurring the line]] between DarkFantasy and PsychologicalHorror. Based upon [[Myth/CelticMythology Celtic]] and Myth/NorseMythology, the titular [[TheOphelia Senua]] journeys into the the depths of Helheim to bargain for her dead lover's life back. In the argument for Maybe Magic, TheCorruption is a very real presence in the story, having plenty of nightmarish takes on existent (and [[SadlyMythtaken non-existent]]) Norse gods and demons, and featuring a descent into the darkness while on TheQuest to save her loved one. In the argument of Maybe Mundane, however, it's basically confirmed that Senua is a schizophrenic who was deeply traumatized by a Viking raid on her home settlement, killing her lover and most of her family, so it's ambiguous [[YourMindMakesItReal how much of it is in her head or not]].

* The ''Zorachus'' duology was written by Mark E. Rogers who wrote ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfSamuraiCat''. A much DarkerAndEdgier story compared to that feline warrior's misadventures, Zorachus is a grimdark tale about a young magician warrior from a sect of ascetic monks who journeys to a city dedicated to excess and where no evil is forbidden. This experience quickly corrupts the young hero and turns him into a genocidal maniac.

* The ''Zorachus'' duology was written by Mark E. Rogers who wrote ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfSamuraiCat''. A darker and edgier fantasy story, the tale is about a young magician warrior from a sect of ascetic monks who journeys to a city dedicated to excess where no evil is forbidden. This quickly corrupts the young hero and turns him into a genocidal maniac.

* The ''Zorachus'' duology was written by who wrote ''Literature/SamuraiCat''. A darker and edgier fantasy story, the tale is about a young magician warrior from a sect of ascetic monks who journeys to a city dedicated to excess where no evil is forbidden. This quickly corrupts the young hero and turns him into a genocidal maniac.

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Part TheEpic, part {{Tragedy}}, part SurvivalHorror. A KnightInSourArmor AntiHero searches for revenge and/or redemption in a CrapsackWorld and fights sickeningly frightening demons along the way. Constant instances of human cruelty lend to the tone of the work. HumansAreBastards and AristocratsAreEvil are in full effect, with [[AllMenArePerverts more than a few men being rapists]] as well. The Church is either a CorruptChurch or PathOfInspiration (details of its founding are unclear) but regardless, watch out for the KnightTemplar [[ChurchPolice Inquisition]], who can and will torture and slaughter you for being a heretic. Magic and good witches definitely exist, but are treated with suspicion and hostility by the above church. TheMagicComesBack is portrayed as almost certainly a bad thing, as the only deity shown to be active in the world is a GodOfEvil. (More benevolent godlike beings are mentioned, but haven't shown up to help out.) The MessianicArchetype is a mass murderer and a rapist who has become a demon god -- and that last bit happened as his ''very first act'' upon becoming a demon god. And so on. [[spoiler:The kicker? According to a now partially decanonized chapter that was removed for spoiling too much, said GodOfEvil and its demons are merely the answer to humanity's desire for something to be responsible for their suffering (as opposed to it being random and meaningless). The Idea of Evil only exists because, in a truly warped way, people ''need'' it to exist.]]
%%** ''Anime/Berserk1997'', the 1997 anime adaptation of the above.
%%** ''Anime/Berserk2016'', the 2016 anime adaptation.

** It's sequel, ''VideoGame/FearAndHungerTermina'', is not much better, being a [[UrbanFantasy contemporary take on the genre]]. Set several hundred years after the first game, the world's equivalent of Europe has undergone its World War 2 that devastated both sides, with it being strongly implied that one of the characters of the last game has [[spoiler:been resurrected and ascended into the Kaiser of the Bremen Empire, the resident Nazi Germany equivalent]]. As if that wasn't enough, fourteen passengers on a train bound for Prehevil get sucked into a [[ThereCanBeOnlyOne battle royale]] led by one of the EldritchAbomination JerkassGods of the setting in a festival that lasts three days, and morphs many of the town's inhabitants into monsters themselves. And you have to survive the festival with a ticking timebomb with you being potentially [[WasOnceAMan moonscorched]]. [[SarcasmMode Have fun]]!

* ''VideoGame/FearAndHunger'' is set in a world exactly like this. The outside world is [[TheDungAges not especially better than medieval Europe]], with wars and conflict about the world, and [[CrapsackWorld it only gets]] ''[[CrapsackWorld worse]]'' [[CrapsackWorld when one factors in the supernatural elements]]. Namely, the fact that all magic is inherently tied to [[EldritchAbomination dark gods]], the entirety of this world's equivalent of the Americas being a monster-laden DeathWorld, and the fact that throughout the world is dark dwellings of horrible monsters, the one your hapless player character visits being known as the "dungeons of [[TitleDrop fear and hunger]]", where the very real threat of being [[CruelAndUnusualDeath messily killed]], [[ToServeMan devoured]] or even [[RapeAsDrama raped]] is all too real and every act of fighting to survive is an achievement of its own. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the setting devolves into a CosmicHorrorStory by the time you reach the lowest part of the dungeon.
** It's sequel, ''VideoGame/FearAndHungerTermina'', is not much better, being a [[UrbanFantasy contemporary take on the genre]]. Set several hundred years after the first game, the world's equivalent of Europe has undergone its World War 2 that devastated both sides, with it being strongly implied that one of the characters of the last game has [[spoiler:been resurrected and ascended into the Kaiser of the Bremen Empire, the resident Nazi Germany equivalent]]. As if that wasn't enough, fourteen passengers on a train bound for Prehevil get sucked into a [[ThereCanBeOnlyOne battle royale]] led by one of the EldritchAbomination JerkassGods of the setting in a festival that lasts three days, and morphs many of the town's inhabitants into monsters themselves. And you have to survive the festival with a ticking timebomb with you being potentially [[WasOnceAMan moonscorched]]. [[SarcasmMode Have fun]]!

** [[index]]''VideoGame/NieR'', Drakengard's spinoff, is closer in tone to a traditional fantasy narrative...at first. Things are post-apocalyptic, sure. Magic is blood-based, I'll grant you that. Humanity may have done some awfully unpleasant things in the past in the name of saving themselves. And yes, your daughter ''has'' been kidnapped by [[DarkIsEvil the resident king]] [[TheHeartless of shadows.]] But [[PapaWolf you]] [[TrueCompanions and your friends]] are good people...right? [[spoiler:Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. However you view yourself, you still just thoughtlessly murdered [[ForcedTransformation the last of the original humans.]]]]
** The exact same holds true for the above with ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'', which is DarkFantasy given [[ScienceFantasy a healthy dosage]] of SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic and ClarkesThirdLaw. On ''top'' of all the BloodMagic and supernatural horrors returning from the first game, [[TimeAbyss enough time has passed]] that Earth has become the battleground of ''14'' {{Robot War}}s -- between both the [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot YorHa Androids]] (the [[AndroidsArePeopleToo human-like androids]] made by humanity to reclaim Earth) and the [[TheRemnant Machine Lifeforms]] (the robotic life forms a race of alien invaders made [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters before being wiped out by their creations]]). Sure, there is full hammering-home that WarIsHell, the dark magical elements of the first game still persist... but you're still the good guys, right? [[spoiler:As it turns out, [[AwfulTruth the entire conflict is built on a lie]]; [[HumanitysWake humanity has been dead for millennia now]], [[AllForNothing rendering the entire war completely pointless and only continued out of inertia]]. Surprisingly, [[EarnYourHappyEnding the story has a happy ending for the main characters]], but that only becomes clear after going through ''hell'' just to get that far]].[[/index]]