KARMA: The Dark World - The Most Underappreciated Game of 2025

analog_future

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I recently picked this one up on a whim, and I've been pretty blown away by it. It's developed by a small indie team (Pollard Studio) and for one reason or another, has gone completely under the radar. Not sure if it's because of it's generic name or lack of marketing, but this one is a must-play for fans of the genre.


I'd describe the game as in the realm of Twin Peaks or CONTROL in tone, with gameplay reminiscent of something like SOMA or Still Wakes the Deep (first person exploration/narrative/puzzle solving, no combat). The game is scary, but I wouldn't call it a straight up horror game. It's more of a sci-fi dystopian mystery game with horror elements.


The tone is novel and unsettling, the visuals are phenomenal for a game from such a small team, the voice acting is really impressive, and the story kept me hooked. Highly recommended!



I feel like trailers have done a really poor job of showing how interesting this game actually is. Here's some of my shots of my playthrough:

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the game looks interesting but doesnt seem to have alot of gameplay?

are there alot puzzles in this game or just walk around and examina objects?
 
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the game looks interesting but doesnt seem to have alot of gameplay?

are there alot puzzles in this game or just walk around and examina objects?

It has a good amount of puzzles, but it's narrative focused. Again, it's more akin to something like SOMA or Firewatch or Still Wakes the Deep for gameplay.

Its a walking simulator right?

It has more interaction and puzzle solving and such than what you'd expect out of a walking sim, but it probably wouldn't be unfair to toss it into a similar category.
 
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Looks like the game is getting a physical release this June for PS5. I'm thinking about pre-ordering it since it looks like something that might be up my alley.



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The physical release is now out, mine is coming in via gamefly in a few days.

Let's see how this turns out.
Yeah, I kind of forgot, but at the same time, I didn't forget about this console release. I just got lazy and didn't pre-order it.

I might still grab the limited edition since it's pretty cheap and in stock at my usual place for physicals.
 
I will say, after a tremendous first impression, the game's second half felt like more of a whimper than a bang.


Still definitely worth playing though
 
I've been playing Still Wakes the Deep this week and I've learned walking simulators aren't for me. The least amount of gameplay I can tolerate is hellblade 2.

I don't think this would change much. Seems like the perfect "game" to just watch a 4K playthrough on YT of.
 
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