Review · Action · Xbox 360 · PlayStation 3 · Xbox One
The Darkness
Reviewed: 30 Apr 2026
Xbox 360 · PlayStation 3 · Xbox One
Starbreeze Studios · 2007
Ludograph rating
B
Good
58 /100
The Darkness is a first-person shooter that builds spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time through its unique premise, but contains significant mature content with high violence and strong language.
Growth (BDS)
41
Risk (RIS)
1
Daily limit
–
Age guidance
17+
Developmental benefits
| B1 | Cognitive | 0.50 | |
| B2 | Social-emotional | 0.10 | |
| B3 | Motor | 0.65 | |
The Darkness offers a mature, story-driven first-person shooter experience that can engage players with its unique premise of controlling a demonic entity. It provides opportunities for spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time through its action-packed gameplay. The narrative may also encourage some critical and strategic thinking in combat scenarios.
Design risks
| R1 | Compulsion-loop pressure | 0.00 | |
| R2 | Monetization | 0.00 | |
| R3 | Social risk | 0.06 | |
The game contains significant mature content, including high levels of violence, strong language, and horror elements, making it unsuitable for younger audiences. While it lacks manipulative monetization or compulsion-loop mechanics, the intense themes and graphic nature could be distressing for some players. The single-player nature means it offers limited social-emotional development benefits.
Content (not in risk score)
| R4.1 | Violence Level | 1.00 | |
| R4.2 | Sexual Content | 0.33 | |
| R4.3 | Language | 1.00 | |
| R4.4 | Substance References | 0.67 | |
| R4.5 | Fear / Horror | 1.00 | |
Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.
Regulatory design checks · DSA — Assessed: meets criteria·GDPR-K — Assessed: meets criteria·ODDS — Assessed: meets criteria
- DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
- GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
- ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.
These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.