What is A Dark Room?
A Dark Room is a text based browser game made by Michael Townsend of Doublespeak Games and released in 2013. It opens on a single line of text in a cold, dark room and a button to light the fire.
From there the game quietly unfolds. A stranger arrives, you gather wood, build huts and traps, and a small village grows around you. Later you head out to explore a world map, and the story keeps revealing new layers. Part of the charm is not knowing what comes next, so it is best played with as few spoilers as possible.
Main Features
- Pure text interface with no graphics
- Starts simple and gradually unlocks new systems
- Village building, crafting and trading
- Exploration of an outside world map
- Progress saves automatically in your browser
- Available in many languages
How to Get Started with A Dark Room
- Open adarkroom.doublespeakgames.com
- Click to light the fire and keep it stoked
- Gather wood and build what the game unlocks
- Leave the tab open and check back as the village grows
A Dark Room Pricing
The browser version is free to play with no account and no ads. Separate mobile versions are sold in the app stores.
Who Should Use It?
- Fans of incremental and idle games
- Players who enjoy mysterious, slow burn stories
- People who like games that run in a quiet browser tab
- Anyone curious about minimalist game design
A Dark Room Alternatives
- Stimulation Clicker: a clicker game with a twist
- The Password Game: a puzzle that keeps escalating
- The Evolution of Trust: a short interactive story about game theory
Frequently Asked Questions
Is A Dark Room free?
Yes, the web version is free with no sign up. Mobile versions are paid apps.
How long does A Dark Room take to finish?
Most players reach an ending in a few hours, spread over one or more sessions.
Does A Dark Room save my progress?
Yes, it saves automatically in your browser, and you can export your save from the game menu.