Pink teddy bears, red roses, heart-shaped chocolate boxes, and a lovey-dovey atmosphere in the air. With February being the month of love and Valentine jumping at us from every corner, it’s hard to concentrate on something else. Ughh… Some people would rather hide than come out until the world returns to normal! Are you one of them?
Put an end to the lovey-dovey, heart-filled atmosphere by slaughtering hordes of monsters, spilling the blood of bosses, raiding the innocent, or — if you prefer — playing as an immigration officer deciding the fate of those seeking a new life.
We’ve prepared a list of anti romance games filled where all the fun is violence, brutality, darkness, and despair. Those games are also characterised by hard mechanics and creepy settings — perfect for escaping this sickly sweet season!
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | YT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Red Dead Redemption 2 | 2019-11-05 | Adventure | Rockstar Games | |
 | Silent Hill 2 | 2024-10-08 | Survival Horror | Bloober Team | |
 | POSTAL 2 | 2003-04-13 | Adventure | Running With Scissors | |
 | Dark Souls: Remastered | 2018-05-24 | Action | QLOC | |
 | Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin | 2015-04-01 | RPG | FromSoftware, Inc | |
 | Hatred | 2015-06-01 | Action & Shooter | Destructive Creations | |
 | Dark Souls III | 2016-04-11 | Adventure | FromSoftware, Inc. | |
 | Papers, Please | 2013-08-08 | Adventure | 3909 | |
 | Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! | 2021-06-30 | Visual novel, horror | Team Salvato | |
 | Catherine Classic | Atlus | |||
 | Grand Theft Auto V | 2015-04-14 | Adventure | Rockstar North | |
 | Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy | 2017-12-06 | Action | Bennett Foddy | |
 | F.E.A.R. | 2005-10-17 | Horror | Monolith Productions, Inc. | |
 | Outlast | 2013-09-04 | Adventure | Red Barrels | |
 | DOOM | 2016-05-12 | Action & Shooter | id Software | |
 | DOOM Eternal | 2020-03-20 | Action | id Software | |
 | Hotline Miami | 2012-10-23 | Adventure | Dennaton Games | |
 | Darkest Dungeon | 2016-01-19 | Indie | Red Hook Studios | |
 | The Binding of Isaac | 2011-09-28 | Adventure | Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl |
Outlast series
| Release date: | 2023-05-18 |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Developer: | Red Barrels |
The Outlast series is for players with truly nerves of steel. While the first and second games have different storylines and are not direct sequels, in both, we play as journalists venturing into mystery-filled locations, determined to uncover dark secrets. And in both cases, we are thrown straight into a nightmare.
With no combat skills, no weapons, and no chance against our enemies, we must run, hide, and… try not to die! A dark setting, a constant sense of dread, terrifying enemies, and the complete lack of self-defence options — these games will completely consume you, making you forget all about the lovey-dovey season!
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Doom Series
| Release date: | 2020-03-20 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | id Software |
Take on the role of a nameless submarine working for Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) and fight the undead and demons to survive!
It is a first-person shooter with a futuristic collection of weapons. With so many games in the series, you can choose something for yourself and go for 1993 Doom for old-school vibes, or focus on the newer releases if you prefer more modern games. In the games, you go to hell, explore a research facility, and fight different demons, so there’s much to choose from.
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Dark Souls" series
| Release date: | 2016-04-11 |
| Genre: | RPG |
| Developer: | FromSoftware, Inc. |
Fight against supernatural monsters, dragons, demons, and knights in a medieval fantasy world. You are the undead and use magic, fire, weapons, and explosives to fight all the different creatures.
It’s a third-person action-packed game set in the world of dark fantasy. It’s a hard game that requires great skills from the player. Besides fighting the enemies, you also explore the world and can interact with NPCs.
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Hotline Miami
| Release date: | 2012-10-23 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Dennaton Games |
It’s 1989 in Miami, USA. You’re the mysterious antihero who gets strange messages on your phone. You’re losing touch with reality and have no control over your violent tendencies.
It’s an action game divided into chapters. In each chapter, the player chooses an animal mask, which affects the gameplay. There is gun play, brutality, and bone-crushing combat. No sign of love in sight!
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Papers Please
| Release date: | 2013-08-08 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | 3909 |
You’re the immigrant inspector at the border of Arstozkan and Kolechia in the city of Grestin. Your job might seem boring – checking papers and deciding whether to let someone in or not. But you have to be very cautious as not everyone seems who they are.
It’s a puzzle simulation game. The player is given specific instructions concerning the immigrants, and they get more difficult over time. If the person is suspicious, then you have to check their fingerprints, demand documents, and interrogate them.
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Darkest Dungeon
| Release date: | 2016-01-19 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Red Hook Studios |
Together with a group of heroes, you explore dungeons you inherited together with a gothic mansion. You explore the forests, crypts, and other creepy places fighting with monsters and your demons — stress, hunger, paranoia, and darkness. Nothing romantic about that!
It’s a roguelike RPG where the players explore and fight alternately. There are sixteen different character classes which the heroes come from. If they die, you cannot revive them. There is an option of rest in a tavern or an abbey.
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Valentines and the time around them don’t have to be as bad as you imagine. There are many things to do that aren’t connected with love or a very happy atmosphere. Besides, what’s better than taking out your anger on demons, dragons, and your enemies, and slaughtering them without remorse?