KARMA: The Dark World

Karma: The Dark World is a psychological, dystopian masterpiece mixed with horror that will challenge your mind and your conscience. The game echoes George Orwell's 1984 where the government rules with Totalitarianism, but here instead it is controlled by the Leviathan Corporation which keeps a EYE on you not with Big Brother but Mother. Surveillance, mind-altering drugs (bluebottle) also keeps societal control ruled with a iron fist and with this comes no free will to create a Utopia . The story effectively builds an atmosphere of paranoia and oppression, making you constantly question what is real and who can be trusted. The narrative also explores themes of privacy, control, memory, and the manipulation of perception. Even with all of this the game deeply dives into making you think in a philosophical manner which is fascinating. There's a touch of Nihilism and Existentialism.. what is your purpose in existence, individual freedom, despair and are we just a slave born in a Hive Mind System? Story: (Something I don't want to get to much into for spoilers) In a alternate timeline East Germany, 1976 you play as Roam Agent Daniel McGovern who works for the Leviathan Corporation’s Thought Bureau. His job is to interrogate suspect's, investigate crimes by entering the minds of these individual's and see these memories. A event occurs where he is thrown down a rabbit hole that quickly dissolves into a grotesque, fragmented landscape that mirrors Daniel's deteriorating mental state and the dark secrets of Leviathan. As you meet some of the character's like Sean and Rachel they each have a story to tell but it's all connected and emotionally devastating as you unravel the mysteries with clues.. Also Around the corner there's a freaky monster that chases after you. The story even goes as far to time and space. Visuals: It's not just words that have power to be persuasive and change your conscience, symbolism and signs can change your perception of your entire reality. The all seeing eye is a constant reminder in this game you are being watched or there is something bigger, one eye symbolism, everyone has a tv as a head, certain numbers are shown like 33. The visual design is striking, leaning into a gritty, industrial aesthetic punctuated by disturbing gritty realism and abstract surrealism. You get this art style of David Lynch black and white stripes on walls/floors, red drapes everywhere and movie film rolls. It shows a lot of horror elements and beauty at the same time. Even more this game is trippy at times with psychedelic visuals Gameplay: There is no per say action in this game, it is slow paced even for a very short game. You can say it is a walking simulator that focuses on puzzles which are simply not hard. A other task you can do is find memos and collectables. Yet I believe this game is for the storytelling and not gameplay. Sound: Atmospheric noises and a outstanding soundtrack.. Play this with headphones + Storytelling Visuals Sound Design Psychological thriller/horror elements - Game length is very short Puzzles are meh May not be every ones taste

It looks good, it sounds good, it performs well, it feels smooth to play, and it’s relatively cheap. As a neo-noir mystery game set in a corporate dystopia, this is clearly an incredibly inspired project, not only paying homage to its more obvious influences (Twin Peaks, 1984, etc.), but even to a wider selection of more nuanced media I can only assume played at least some part in shaping the development of the project as a whole. The first act had me hooked. Then came the second act. At this point in the game, the story quickly takes a ninety-minute detour into some abstract romance plot riding on the coattails of the first act’s sci-fi/horror backdrop, and by the time it was done, I spent the last hour just wishing the game would end. A plot twist which was obvious from the very start is “revealed” at one point, followed by a few minutes of extremely unnecessary exposition summing up the previous five hours of the game and just generally explaining things for those who weren’t able to keep up. At this point, the writers even go so far as to explain their own metaphors directly following the sentences they’re presented in. In my opinion, you’re better off coughing up the extra five bucks and getting Nobody Wants To Die instead.

Fantastic visuals, but I gave up and just quit the game when I realized I'd put almost 3 hours into it and I literally had no idea what the hell was going on. Everything was so abstract and metaphorical that I totally lost track of who I was, who the other people where, and most importantly, why I should care about [i]anything[/i] at all. Just a disorganized mess and I wish I could get those 3 hours back.

Interesting linear story-oriented game. [b]The story itself is good[/b] with small portions of "wtf was that and why it happend". The way of storytelling reminds me of Remedy games (especially Control) where you can understand everything only after second playthrough. [i]If you like it[/i] - you will like this game too. [i]If not[/i] - this game will be for you another "what did I just watched" and results to 4/10. This is walking simulator and every puzzle or minigame is working for the story, so don't go there for the gameplay. By the way, puzzles itself - [b]they're frustrating[/b]. There's mostly no envirnomental clues on what you need to do and do you think in the right way. They has a lot of possibilities to resolve - and the way, developer wants you to resolve - is really non-intuitive. Overall, for me it's a 7/10. [i]If you like story-oriented games and David Lynch's storytelling style - I would recommend it. For everyone else - you can skip it.[/i]

I have never cried so hard on stream as I did in Act 2 & 3 of this game. Beautiful graphics, incredible story line and plot. I wish I could erase it from my brain and play it again.

Although the game isn't very long, the story being told as you play through as Daniel Mcgovern is a brilliant one, i definitely recommend this game to anyone who enjoys horror and jumpscares and games with good stories. The Story telling in this game is very well done from beginning to end. i personally never could've predicted the ending of the story.

I loved this game so so so much. This story for this game was so beautiful yet tragic at the same time. The way the game can change your perception of your entire reality amazing. The puzzles were not super difficult, and I liked the collectibles or memos you can find as well. I loved that you got to play as other characters in the game, which allows for a more immersive and gripping story line as you're able to see how each individual character has an important part in the story. This game was beautiful along with the visuals and I 10000% cried at the end...ifykyk. The puzzles were not super difficult, and I liked the collectibles or memos you can find as well.

I never thought a game could feel like a deep dream—or more accurately, a waking nightmare—that pulls you out of yourself and drops you into the darkest corners of the human mind. Karma: The Dark World is not just a game; it’s a descent into the psyche, where the line between truth and illusion is blurred beyond recognition. The storytelling, the atmosphere, the sound design, and the cold, merciless world stayed with me long after I finished playing. Some of its scenes still haunt me when I close my eyes. If you’re looking for a psychological experience that digs into your soul, this is it. 10/10 – A dark masterpiece.

Haven't played the game myself and only seen a extensive gameplay, but it was an unforgettable, positive experience. Awesome.

Karma: The Dark World doesn’t scare you with cheap jump scares—it gets under your skin with silence, shadows, and sorrow. It unravels slowly, layering memory, guilt, and distorted reality into something deeply personal and profoundly unsettling. This isn’t just horror. It’s a reflection on who we are when everything familiar turns against us. If you're drawn to the kind of horror that hurts a little, that sits with you long after the screen fades to black—play this!

I love Twin Peaks, Control, Gone home, What remains of Edith Finch and Scorn - all of which were obvious influences for this game (some of them being referenced in not-at-all-subtle ways), but I didn't enjoy Karma : The Dark World. The game has some interesting set pieces and surprising choices in its presentation, but ultimately for me it's too melodramatic, it takes itself too seriously (unlike Control or Twin Peaks), the gameplay feels very forced and even unnecessary at points (I honestly feel this would work well as a more straightforward walking simulator, without any 'puzzles'), the references are too on-the-nose, voice performances are very weak at times, sound design is very rough and lacks detail in a lot of places. Perhaps I'm too critical, but that's my 2 cents.

an absolutely amazing game one of the best stories i have ever seen in a game and so much put into it i love it

Absolutely fantastic game and mixed so many different gameplay styles and art. Never knew what was going to happen next and was so weird in the best of ways!

Beautiful, frightening, distubing, touching, soul crushing. Video games are an experience, and what a wild ride this one was.

What a game. I was relieved to see that this has a decent amount of reviews and wasn't one of those indies that struggles to break 100 reviews, because this is very well made. It doesn't necessarily do anything new in the "walking simulator" space, but it does everything so very well. I was immediately sucked into the world, art style, and music from the first trailer I saw that I knew I had to play the full game. It very clearly takes inspiration from 1984, which it doesn't try to hide, but does such a great job of building a grotesque, dystopian, horrifying world without telling you too much. By the end it tells a very personal and moving story within the world, even if half way through you think to yourself, "what the heck am I playing?" Go in blind and enjoy the ride - it comes together pretty well in the end. This game has prefected the famous Raycevick quote "games should leave you wanting more" both in terms of game length, but also in terms of story: it leaves enough unsaid that details of the world are open to your imagination, making you want to know more about the world without spoiling the fun of interpretation. The only thing I will say is make sure you go into the game with the right expectations. This is a "walking simulator" in that you move around slowly, listen to dialogue, solve some puzzles, etc. If you don't enjoy the genre/style of story telling, then this won't change your mind. Thankfully, it seems like we've mostly moved on from the 2010's when everyone thought it was their place to say "aLl YoU dO iS wAlK" or "tHeRe IsN't AnY gAmePlAy" and berate these types of games to death...while turning around and playing their 700th hour of Call of Duty 27. This type of game/story/experience has a place in the industry, and I am glad they have learned how to market them to the right audience. I will be eagerly anticipating this team's next game.

beautiful game, i watched it first on youtube but i loved it so much that i had to buy it to show some support and it was wonderful to play through. highly recommend!

Karma The Dark World was truly an experience of a game. Through thrilling well placed scares, well developed environments, and an impressively eerie atmosphere, this game has made a seat for itself in lots of horror game fanatics permanent favorites. Keeping true to its psychological aspect during the entirety of the gameplay, the story progresses at a steady pace with only a few moments feeling rushed, which is quickly remedied by the more involved scenes (such as what I will refer to as the lovers section) that guide you, and hold you hooked to every possible word and moment. Your mind becomes involved more and more heavily as you realize the weight of each action, the terror of not being able to stop the MC, the reality that there was never another choice for you, another path, as the player... An incredible title that sits for me personally among the stunning world building, storytelling, and plot developments of games like SOMA and Dead Space, I just wish I could forget it all to play it from a blank slate from the start.. all over again.

Just finished the game. I have no idea what just happened and my brain feels like it is bleeding, and I like it.

It's okay, I guess. But, it's the kind of game that's prone to being absolutely ruined by spoiler culture.

Odd, strange, weird, WTF... all word to describe this game. Very unusual game, with twisted reality, unusual dreams and flash backs, and some nice puzzles thrown in too. overall a very good game, that I enjoyed, but if anyone understand the ending please let me know.

The game is about 6 hours long, and it goes through some big shifts as you play. The first 2 hours or so are a very trippy 1984.txt-type glimpse into the life of workers under Leviathan. Then we shift to seeing the abusive and terrible home life of one of the main characters, and finally uncover a whole mess of intrigue, ruination and wild psychic mayhem all tied to an experimental material. The ending sets itself up for a sequel, which I for one am really looking forward to. This leans more into being an experience rather than a game; important for you to have agency throughout, but you are bearing witness to the events as they unfold. A fantastic first release for this dev.

While the visuals were interesting, it seemed like 75% of the time, the game took control away from me because I had to watch someone talk for 15 minutes. This was made even worse by the fact that half the time I had no idea what was going on anyways. I lost interest at about the half way point and watched the rest on YouTube at double speed.

TLDR: Would recommend as an art experience and looking forward to Pollard Studio's next game! First and foremost, this is a walking simulator - if you disliked something like Layers of Fear you will not like this either. There is very little gameplay and falls into what I categorise as a 'portfolio piece' rather than a game. There are a couple of environmental puzzles and sequences where you can fail and have to restart but overall you're there to experience the story. Collectibles exist but I'm mixed on these existing as they distract you from immersing yourself fully in the game as you press your face into every corner of an environment looking for them. Visually it's very impressive with surreal environments in each segment. The lore of the world is quite interesting as well - it's a shame you don't get to spend more time in it as you're mostly brain diving into other's memories which take place in indoor environments all the time. Story-wise - enjoyable/interesting - Voice acting is very good. But it is VERY rushed in the third act with plot lines rapidly being brought together in a few minutes. I think the game could have done with one more chapter for better pacing and reveals. The ending is suitably a mixed bag of depressing and bittersweet for a horror game. I hope the devs can ease off on the exposition in their next game as it was a little heavy handed in act 3. They should trust the players more to understand what is going on through their imagery rather than over explaining in words or dialogue. The game isn't that scary - there are some good eerie moments here and there but the horror lies mostly in how twisted the world has become more so than anything primal where something is chasing you. Playtime - Took just under 8 hours to 100% everything

Karma: The Dark World is a massive surprise for me. While it often veers a little too heavy into the walking simulator tropes that plague the genre, and provide very little actual 'gameplay' aside from some light puzzle solving and camera "combat". The game is high quality in just about every other core aspect. Presenting a stellar, and surprisingly touching narrative about various existential horrors, aided by occasionally wonky but usually fantastic voice performances, incredible visual and art design; and a haunting score/ambience, that all combine to create one of 2025's hidden gems. Don't sleep on Karma: The Dark World

I'm writing this in the middle of like an hour long uninterruptable cutscene / occasionally walk down a hallway sequence. Turns out that was the ending of the game. Awful.

I wish I could vote for this somewhere in the middle. I am a casual gamer who is no good at combat/fps, so I enjoy a good walking sim/point and click with some puzzles etc. While this had beautiful rendering and cinematic scenes, it really put the walking in walking sim. You just basically walk through the story, very linear, and I couldn't make a lot of sense of the story, just a vague understanding of the general idea. It feels a bit like a knock off of Observer. Without the freedom of movement or clue collection. It's one of those games that seems good on paper but I found it a slog by the end. I wanted to finish it, so I pushed through. There's a few out of place chase sequences. I am still not 100% sure of the plot either.

A beautiful emotional story told in breathtaking art. the credit soundtrack is something out of this world :)

After playing for about 4 hours so far I can easily say this is an instant favorite for me. Very creative and interesting concept. Game crashed at the end.

The story would've been ok if I hadn't played Control or We Happy Few first. Even at that, you see Daniel and then you see an old man who looks exactly like Daniel... there are only so many reasons for that, so it's not exactly a shock when the story finally meanders to the *big reveal* that anyone can see coming. The pacing is horrible, and by that I mean the speed that Daniel walks at. A quadriplegic is faster than this guy, even when "running". The puzzles are either way too easy, or completely meaningless. Everyone is out of breath all of the time. I eventually just muted the game and left subtitles on because the pacing of the speech is so slow, and it has to leave room for all of the panting that has to occur so that we know the speaker is full of emotion! The head bobbing. What the fuck? I turned head bob off in settings, and the camera was on a goddamn swivel the entire game. I am a human, I have a neck and a head, and I have never in my life moved my head as much as the characters in this game. In the big reveal scene when Daniel discovers the secret, he's tied to a chair, and the camera is going HAMM, nodding like a bobblehead, and I just sat there wondering what that would look like in real life. A dude tied to a chair, aggressively nodding, while panting and asking stupid questions... I think I hated this game so much because I was looking forward to it so much, and it completely fell flat. Every aspect of this is done better elsewhere, so if this is the first game you've ever played: you will love it. If you have played anything in this genre before, especially Control, just don't bother with this.

One of the best experiences I’ve had while playing a game.

This game was fantastic. The abstract art it uses as you delve into the unconscious mind is just marvellous. It also has a soundtrack that matches every scene perfectly, making you empathize with each character as you recreate their memories. I even cried a couple of times. 10/10

Wow. This was amazing! I didn't know what to expect really. I looked at a couple screenshots and the steam description. This is a beautifully crafted heavy-narrative experience. If you liked "Still Wakes the Deep". You will probably like this. Though the story of this game is much more complicated. It's kind of like if the "What remains of Edith Finch" devs came together with the team behind Observer and made a game together. Great visuals. Story. Soundtrack. Voice acting. One of the most important parts of a horror game (well most games) is immersion. This is verrrry immersive. Couldn't recommend enough.

The game is very immersive, I enjoy playing such games very much. ♥❤️

weird but interesting. visuals are mindblowing

Very mind bending artistic work.

cool orwellian game for the price

It was something.... pretty cool though 8/10

well done story telling and how rich the story building itself

Absolutely loved it! It reminded me a lot of the German series Dark.

Absolute mindf.ck!

I need to see a therapist after this game...

Great game.

good

good

absolute cinema 10/10

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

masterpiece

One word! Wauw

Damn.

Yes?