Amazing games that feel like they are designed for adults

The ESRB's rating system exists to help consumers make more informed purchases and to prevent people from being exposed to content that is inappropriate for them. Sometimes it is quite obvious that a The game is for adults only. The very rare Adults Only rating has been awarded to specific titles, such as the PC version of the infamous Manhunt 2to be far too clear.

However, the cases are not always so clear. Factors such as violence, jump scares and the deepest and most tragic adult themes are present in many games, some of which are ostensibly for children or younger players as well. These titles are far from being explicit as such Manhuntbut they absolutely feel like they were created with adult players in mind.

The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask

With an eerie little laugh from the happy mask seller, it begins

The Legend of Zelda is a truly magical series, not only because it's one of Nintendo's most consistent success stories, but because it's usually a bright, wonderful, colorful, whimsical universe to inhabit. Yes, there are world-ending action and battles and set pieces throughout, but the series' unique charm and iconic music have a way of keeping the tone from sinking too far into the dark. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Maskhowever, is something of an exception to the rule.

It's worrying in a way Zelda games usually aren't, which has made it quite a curiosity. Instead of the whimsical world of Hyrule, it's set in Termina, and the plot revolves around Link's struggle to stop Groundhog Day-like time loop that the realm is trapped in, and, of course, to prevent the terrifying moon from colliding with the world. There's a remarkable depth to the adult themes explored here, with Link learning valuable perspective from those who can see their end coming and, seemingly, accept it. The darkness of the Skull Kid and Majora's Mask itself, as well as the reasons behind it, make the story increasingly bleak as we learn more. The series certainly isn't afraid to tackle these concepts, but it's never done it in such a raw and affecting way.

Shadow the Hedgehog

The series has never been edgier

Shadow is the Wario to Sonic's Mario, the equivalent of mixing things up and making the non-heroic decision when needed. In 2005, he got a lead role in Shadow the Hedgehogan experience unlike anything Sega's main man himself has ever given fans. In the game, Earth is invaded by an alien race called the Black Arms, and Shadow's inherent moral ambiguity is used to shape the story as he sees fit. Perhaps the game's greatest strength is that you can choose to side with either the invaders or the planet's defenders through your mission choices. There are nearly a dozen different endings, depending on the choices made, and the pounding music and non-stop action mark this darker version of a Sonic title.

The idea was to combine iconic elements of the games, like the super-fast platforming, with elements that reflected Shadow's more adult leanings. This was accomplished by arming him with weapons and lending a projectile-throwing stock to the battle that was fairly new. However, there is a sense that there was more that could have been coaxed out of the game in this regard; a Shadow throwing expletives would have really captured that adult action movie.

Stray

Far from a cute cat story

Stray made waves when it launched in 2022, and it's easy to see why. By and large, we don't need much more than an adventurous kitten protagonist to have a good time. This is not a sweet and whimsical story Little Kitty Big Cityhowever; there is something dark and extremely disturbing at the heart of Straysomething that many who jumped in to try out the cute viral cat game couldn't have predicted.

This post-apocalyptic title takes place in an underground city that was meant to be a safe haven for humans until a mysterious disease wiped them out. It is now a dilapidated and incredibly eerie place, populated by NieR: Automata-like machines that once served humans. It's a tragic tale that plays out through environmental narratives, and the underlying themes of loss, resilience and the will to protect what's left make Stray much deeper than it appears at first glance. Some of the interactions with the Companions are heartbreaking in a way that is probably too much for younger players.

Subnautica

What lies beneath

This survival title sees the protagonist crash land on a mysterious watery planet, 4546B. With only a few resources, they must constantly venture deeper into the water and around the planet to gather more details about the dilemma facing them and how they can ultimately escape. The terrible sense of isolation, of the unknown, creeps in rather insidiously and never leaves as players experiment with its deep base-building mechanics.

Subnautica isn't officially a horror game, but somehow it nails the atmosphere of one. It gradually increases from encounters with small, harmless creatures closer to the surface to presenting great looming horrors in the darkness far below. It's a game that perfectly achieves the atmosphere of being stranded in a vast ocean and not knowing what kinds of creatures you might share the water with. It would also have been an excellent premise for a more conventional horror title.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

The horrors of war

The World Wars have been popular settings for many classic FPS titles. The tragic scale of both conflicts makes them an excellent backdrop for the brutal combat, non-stop action and emotional set pieces that so often define the genre. In 2014, Ubisoft Montpellier took the World War I setting in a completely different direction, focusing the spotlight primarily on a smaller group of characters and relaying their personal stories.

Brave hearts is not a shooter, but a puzzle game, similar to a point-and-click but with more direct control. With dialogue kept to an absolute minimum, it's the visual presentation that tells the story and highlights the route forward. Fortunately, the graphics are absolutely stunning, a 2D masterpiece created with the UbiArt Framework engine. Those players determined to find every little secret will be rewarded with “souvenirs” from each level, providing a more heartbreaking context for the events of the war. There's a huge emotional depth to the game, and despite its almost cartoonish visuals, it's loaded with heavy themes.

Don't starve

Another survival title with a dark side

Of course, survival games are not meant to be friendly and approachable. The whole concept is about fighting to make it just one more day in a hostile world that knows every possible way to destroy you. Even from the nervous opening film, it's clear Don't starve will be rudely creepy. Things may not seem so bad when you first start exploring and getting the hang of it, but as darkness falls you start to see how scary things can get.

Again, it's not strictly a horror game, but the creepiness is second to none, and it's a title that reveals some of its nastier surprises over time. There are horrible mini-bosses that can appear depending on your actions, and newcomers who haven't been spoiled won't even know they've done anything “wrong” until one of these horrible things appears nearby. It's an eerie twist on the survival genre, and one of its most enduring games because of it, but it's definitely not suitable for all ages.

Cultist Simulator

Mature themes and sheer, unforgiving complexity

Some games gently guide you all the way through, with every objective signposted, every mechanic explained, and tutorials so long they might even break the game. The absolute opposite of that is Cultist Simulator. Struggling with its obtuse mechanics, failing repeatedly and gradually gaining (or rather earning) an understanding of how to survive is the name of the game.

At the start of the game, players choose a scenario, essentially a person to play as. After that, they play various small cards, which represent everything from getting a rest to summoning a demon. There are layers upon layers of complexity throughout, including playing cards in the right order for successful actions and making sure you can do what you want to do when you want to do it (there's a timer system). It all takes place on a playing field of sorts, and there's plenty of dialogue to bring the story to life. It's a title you'll probably either try for fifteen minutes and never touch again, or be completely engrossed in. Learn to manage all the moving parts, including your ever-shrinking resources, like money, and you'll find yourself in all kinds of fascinating and terrifying scenarios, but there's no denying that the game gets very, very dark and is best suited for adults.