Summary
Dirty, gritty, grimy — all words that can be used to describe grunge as a whole. However, the alternate definition, regarding grunge as a music genre, can also be applicable to video games, many of which channel the energy of those bands, the attitude, and the aesthetic that surrounds it. These games, however, mostly concern the primary definition.
Darker games often embody the definition of grunge with gritty settings, punk attitudes, and/or a particularly grungy visual style. Fans of grimy, dark, and dirty underworlds should find plenty to like here.
8Intravenous
Dark And Gritty Stealth Action
Fans ofhardcore stealth gamessuch as the originalSplinter Celland top-down shooters such asHotline Miamiand who enjoy the cliché plots of B-movies and crime cinema are sure to have a heyday withIntravenous. Taking place in the dark and gritty criminal underworld,Intravenoustasks players with avenging their brother through a variety of missions, engaging in a combination of hardcore stealth and violent combat along the way.
The underworld setting, dark pixel-art, and brutal violence result in a truly grungy backdrop to the game’s action/stealth gameplay. The narrative, while cliché, is still a lot of fun, matching perfectly with the game’s gritty style.
Anger Foot’svisual style may not scream grunge right out of the gate, with its bright, vivid colors, smooth textures, and claymation-esque character designs. However, this frenetic first-person shooter soon unveils its true identity as an unhinged journey through a grungy cityscape.
The pulsing dance music, exaggerated violence, crime-ridden setting, and abundance of grime throughout each of the city environments make for a satirically grungy experience.Anger Footmakes use of pollution, dirt, and all things disgusting as part of its unique aesthetic and tone, making for an FPS with a truly unique world.
Buckshot Rouletteis a short-but-sweetindie horror gamewith an appropriately low price-point, pitting players against a truly creepy AI opponent in a modified version of Russian Roulette. The player and the intimidating Dealer take turns pointing a 12-gauge shotgun this way and that, trying not to shoot themselves in the process.
It’s a gambling game with a few elements of strategy thrown in, mostly through the use of active items, butBuckshot Roulette’sgreatest strength is its grungy visuals. Dark, grimy, gritty environments and a stark, subdued color palette are mostly responsible, but the game’s dark tone and overabundance of blood and dirt do plenty to add to the grungy feel of this creepy title.
5Charlie Murder
A Gothic, Punk-Infused Beat ‘Em Up
Channeling punk rock as much as it does the meaning of grunge,Charlie Murderis brimming with an energetic, grungy style, complete with a dark, scratchy art-style. Thisside-scrolling beat ‘em upis replete with violence and rich in style, making for a dark and gritty punk-rock adventure with an old-school feel.
The gameplay ofCharlie Murderis fairly old-school, but RPG elements spice it up a little, and the addition of both localand online co-opis a welcome one. Furthermore, the game’s darker tone and punk-rock attitude is refreshing in the beat ‘em up genre, which tends to be geared toward a more generic demographic.
Its gameplay may be minimal, butSLUDGE LIFEand its sequel are great examples of how atmosphere, writing, and visual style can go a long way. InSLUDGE LIFE, players explorea small open-worldenvironment, interacting with quirky characters and tagging various locations with graffiti.
The cast of colorful characters and the dense environment of the game’s foggy open world make for a tremendously evocative experience in spite of the title’s obvious limitations. All in all,SLUDGE LIFE’sgrungy visuals, laid-back gameplay, and fun attitude make for a truly whimsical title that’s worth exploring.
Quasimorphis a grimdark science fiction game that plays likea traditional roguelikebut features a structure more akin to the genre’s cousin, the roguelite; fans of extraction shooters will be immediately familiar withQuasimorph’sloop, with players delving into dangerous environments, scavenging supplies, and building a stockpile of useful gear. This somewhat alleviates the unforgiving nature of the roguelike dungeon-crawling that makes up most of the game — although the game features permanent death, players can always rely on their stockpile of equipment.
The extraction shooter gameplay loop is one thing, butQuasimorphalso shines with its grungy, grimdark world and dark atmosphere. The music and sound design provide a gritty backdrop to the grimy pixel-art environments and sketchy characters of the game’s grisly setting, butQuasimorph’swell-crafted, addictive gameplay loop makes its world worth being immersed in.
Fast, frenetic,and utterly psychedelic,Post Voidis a one-of-a-kind first-person shooter with a grungy style; messy violence, scratchy pixel-art, and unsettling character designs make for a winning combination, offering up a gritty but colorful setting for the game’s disgusting action.
Post Voidis a hard game with an unforgiving nature, an action roguelike that refuses to hold the player’s hand. Players are given one weapon at a time and access to a variety of passive upgrades throughout each run, but the game’s expressive movement, labyrinthine levels, and constantly draining health system makes for a consistently engaging loop.
Replete with gritty and gratuitous violence, dingy environments, and grimy characters,Hotline Miamiis a sordid ride that puts players in the shoes of a deranged antihero on the streets ofan alternate-historyMiami, 1989. The hard-hitting soundtrack, grungy, rough-edged pixel-art, and frenetic top-down action result in an experience that’s consistently gritty, wholly unforgiving, and rarely lets up.
AccompanyingHotline Miami’sgrungy tone and atmosphere is a punchy arcade feel to its gameplay. This, along with the game’ssynthwave 80s style, preventsHotline Miamifrom ever becoming too dour.
